I Got a Boy
by flyingcrowbar
Summary: All it takes is a pair of scissors to turn Annabeth Chase into Andrew Chase, shedding the long blonde ponytail in exchange for a uniform at the elite all-boys private school where only the finest go on to achieve their dreams. It's her last hope to becoming an architect. Hopefully her new bunkmate, the all-star swimmer Percy Jackson, doesn't find out who he's really rooming with.
1. Prologue

**_Gosh! Look at her, look_ **  
**_What happened to her that she cut her hair? huh?_ **  
**_Gosh! Again look at her, look!_ **  
**_From head to toe, her style has changed_ **  
**_Why did she do that? I'm curious to death_ **  
**_why did she do that? Tell me_**

**_- _SNSD Girls' Generation, "I Got A Boy"**

* * *

"Alright, girlie. You ready to look?"

"Mmhmm."

Thalia spun Annabeth around in the styling chair, making her reel. Either that or it was the nerves. Her palms were already sweating, though this was the most sure thing she had probably ever done in her short, seventeen-year life. This scholarship was the last chance she had at making it into a top tier school. Her grades were everything, and she meant _everything_. Too bad it was all riding on this moment. It didn't help that the butterflies were prancing around her belly like it was a meadow. Her closed lids fluttered as she took a deep breath and readied herself.

"Okay. Take a peek."

Annabeth opened her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to get adjusted to the blinding bulbs that framed the mirror in front of her. And at first, she thought Thalia was playing a prank.

There was a boy sitting in front of her - blond, curly-haired, gray-eyed - wearing her favorite blue hoodie and with a Thalia clone standing just over his shoulder. It took longer than it should have to recognize that it was actually her reflection.

Annabeth was that boy in the mirror.

"So? How'd I do?" Thalia asked with a knowing smirk.

The girl was honestly a genius - a pierced-lip, tattooed-sleeve, transformation genius.

Annabeth gaped, turning her head this way and that to get a good look at the stranger that stared back at her.

"Thalia… you're -"

"The best? Yeah, I know," she said, pretending to inspect her nails like it '_ain't no thang_.'

Annabeth laughed, shaking with excitement and finding it hard to breathe. Lockes of her long blonde hair sat in piles on the floor of the salon, like that part of her life was behind her. A weight had been lifted, quite literally, from her head.

This was happening. This was actually happening. There was no going back. The all-boys academy was going to have a new student starting tomorrow.

"See the makeup?" Thalia pointed with her finger. "I defined your chin and your jaw, thickened up your brows and boom - hot boy in my presence."

Annabeth couldn't help but beam.

"I'll teach you how to get this look every day. They won't even know otherwise, just so long as you don't whip your boobs out or anything."

"Thalia, how can I ever repay you?"

She winked. "Give my brother a hard time for me."


	2. Nerves and Turtlenecks

_Okay, Annabeth. You totally have this. You are in control. Don't worry, that guy's not staring at you. You look fine. Stop playing with your hair - stop it. Get it together._

Annabeth paused in the hallway of Bolt Academy and stared at the map in her hand. The school was big, like really big. Bigger than the brochures made it seem, at least. It was like she was walking through a labyrinth. How in the world was she supposed to find her dorm let alone not get so turned around she died of starvation in the process?

For a top tier school, it really did live up to the hype. It was an architecture nerd's wet dream with its classic Greco-Roman aesthetic. Maybe that's why she got lost in the first place - too busy craning her neck to look at all of the arches, pediments, and balustrades to pay attention to where her loafers were carrying her.

The hallways were paved with porcelain mosaics, dotted with antiquities from the Classical Age on pedestals under burning sconces hanging from pillars. Most of the school was open to the elements, letting the not-quite summer, not-quite autumn air roll through the halls. It was a good thing this place was just outside of LA or else trudging to class in the snow would not be worth it.

Annabeth put down her suitcase and unfolded the map further, trying to figure out exactly if she had passed the cafeteria already or not. She turned the map upside down, perhaps in hopes of getting her bearings. A friendly voice made her look up:

"You looking for somewhere?"

He was blond, tall, broad and, like her, wearing the academy uniform - flat front khakis, a black blazer, and a purple and gold tie cinched all the way up his button down shirt. When he smiled, the scar above his lip became its own grin, almost like a second layer of friendliness.

"Uh yeah," she said, doing her best to keep her voice low. "Dorm thirty-six. C Hall?"

"I see, Jackson's new roommate." There was a hint of a smirk on his lip.

Annabeth wasn't sure if she was supposed to know who that was but the guy didn't give her a chance to find out.

"I'm heading that way. I can take you if you want."

"That'd be great. Thanks!"

He waved her in the direction she was originally going and she hurried to pick up her bag.

"You're obviously new here," he said over his shoulder when she caught up.

"Yeah, just transferred."

"What's your concentration?"

"Architecture."

"Oh wow! I think you came to the right place," he said, then held out his hand. "My name's Jason. Jason Grace."

Annabeth took it and shook. "Andrew Chase."

"Good to meet you."

"Yeah, you too."

Thalia had not mentioned the fact that her brother was basically the complete opposite of her, it was like night and day, right down the hairs on their heads. It was pure luck that he was the first person she met here, though based on what she had heard of him, she shouldn't be surprised. It was like he had a sixth sense, detecting when someone felt out of place so he could swoop in and save the day.

Thalia was thrilled when Annabeth told her that she was going to Bolt. She immediately gushed that her brother was going to school there too.

The way Thalia talked about him didn't really prepare Annabeth for the charm he had. She had been shown a picture or two of him on Thalia's phone, but they didn't capture the statuesque way he held himself when he walked. Annabeth figured he had been raised well based on that alone. How Thalia had ventured off to live a life not filled with butlers or private jets was a question Annabeth would have to save for another day.

Jason took her up a spiral staircase and onto the next floor. The breaks between arches revealed the lush green grass of the quad. Since it was Sunday, there were dozens of other students lounging out in the sun or playing frisbee. Annabeth could easily picture herself sitting under one of the large pine trees with her laptop in the shade.

"If you got accepted here, you must be good at sports too," he said, casually. "What do you play?"

"I run. Cross country mostly."

"You know, I pegged you for a runner. Though I had hoped you played soccer."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm kind of the captain and we need new blood."

"Sorry."

"Hey, no worries. It's not your fault." He nudged her on the arm with his elbow and she teetered off course. "Whoa there! Gotta toughen you up if you're gonna play with the big dogs."

Annabeth laughed weakly and touched the place where a bruise was surely going to form. If she was going to blend in, she had to work on hardening her physique. She watched the way Jason walked and tried her best to mimic it - wide strides, tight hips, straight back.

He glanced down at her and she stopped immediately. She would have to practice somewhere else.

They scaled another flight of stairs and turned a corner only to emerge into a narrow hallway with rows of doors on either side. It was darker here, though the little patches of glass squares in the ceiling was a nice touch.

"Here we are," Jason said. "C Hall."

Jason led the way down while Annabeth looked at the room numbers. _30, 32, 34…_

"Thirty-six," he said, pointing to an innocuous-looking wooden door. This was hers for the next year. This was where she would study, sleep, eat… This was home.

"If you need anything, I'm in thirty-five," he said, jutting his thumb at the door behind them.

"Sure, thanks."

Jason made to go into his room but stopped short and turned back. "Ah - " he quieted his voice a bit, "- there's one thing you need to know about your roommate. He's, well… you know what? Better find out yourself."

"What, is he a celebrity or something?"

"In a way."

Annabeth simpered, unsure about his intentions. "If you say so."

"See ya," Jason said with a wave. He opened his door and vanished into his room to leave Annabeth alone in the hallway.

There was a faint rhythm - music - coming from inside thirty-six. She held her ear close to the door to be sure. In her pocket she found her dorm key, inserted it into the lock and twisted it open. The door squeaked wide.

The music - some kind of ska punk song - and the smell greeted her first. _Chlorine. He's a swimmer._

Movie posters covered the brick walls, only DVDs filled the bookshelf (not a book in sight), and dirty clothes littered the floor. There was a bunk bed in the near corner opposite the window overlooking the quad, the bottom one having its comforter disheveled and unmade. A big screen TV was pushed up against the wall with a single bean bag situated in front of it.

From inside the room, the bathroom door clicked and opened and a figure emerged, drying his hair with a towel.

Annabeth's eyes widened to the size of moons when she saw that he was dripping wet and absolutely, unapologetically, utterly _naked_.

She stood, frozen in the doorframe, staring - not daring to speak, move, let alone breathe. The power of a thousands suns burned on her face.

Her new roommate, Percy Jackson - maybe having noticed the draft because he had no other reason to look up - froze at the sight of her, a deer in the headlights.

Annabeth's mind went tingly, like an empty TV channel, and the only logical thing to do next was grab the door handle and slam the door in her own face.


	3. Expectations and Realities

In the quiet of the empty hallway, Annabeth's mind was in overdrive, like someone had turned up the volume in her head. Literally the only thing she could think was:

_Penis. That was a penis. A male penis. Male genetalia. Reproductive organ on the outside of the body. Penis. That was a penis._

How the _hell_ was she supposed to room with this guy now? After she saw… saw… everything. What preface for personal privacy there was had been shattered like a hammer to glass. All that was left was a piece of paper with her dorm number, her roommate's name, and the image of his junk swirling in her head like a giant Vegas road sign with flashbulbs and a Rockettes lineup.

There was no possible way she was going to just act like nothing had happened. Obviously she had expected to see some nudity while she was a student here - after all this was a school completely filled to the brim with boys - but to see a… a thing so early. She hadn't even had lunch yet and it was just right there - out in the open - impossible to be ignored.

If she thought cutting off all of her hair meant no turning back, this was was whole new level. This was something she couldn't just forget. It was there. Always there. Like a brand. Like a brand on her brain. Permanently there. Forever. _Oh God!_

Annabeth rubbed the heels of her palms into her eyeballs, as if it would help scrub the image from her memory, making the colors dance in the black.

The door to 36 clicked open and Annabeth froze.

"So what - you my new roommate?"

The way he spoke was lazy, like he started saying a word and gave up halfway through - very Noo Yawk. Her heart thudded against her chest because _the penis's owner was speaking to her. _

She slowly turned, praying to whatever higher power that he wasn't a nudist, and - relieved - found that he was wearing blue boxers and holding the door open. The light from above shadowed the muscles in his core in just the right way, they looked like canyons. He had copper skin, and his wet hair clung to his forehead to frame green eyes.

He simply watched her, waiting for an answer, like getting caught naked was a totally normal occurrence.

That's when she remembered that she was supposed to be a boy. Locker rooms were an everyday part of the world of male athletes. She had to be cool about it, pretend like it wasn't the first, in-person dick she had ever seen in her life because - for all he knew - she had one too.

The words got lost on their relatively short journey from her brain to her mouth though. All that came out was just a long, drawn out: "Uhh..."

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Andrew Chase." At least that part she could do without higher cognitive function.

"Alright, Andy - you just gonna stand out there all day?"

He stood back to let her in and she hurried past.

"You've got the top bunk since Grover moved out," he said, "so I hope you don't mind. And your desk is right there." He pointed to a nook where two tables were pushed up against the wall, one obviously claimed with dozens of pictures of smiling people, blue ribbons, and trophies. There was even a hand-painted banner swooping across the wall - PERCY IS OUR HERO!

The room was homey and still smelled like the body wash from his shower.

She dropped her suitcase at the end of the bunk and took it all in. Despite the shock from only a few minutes ago, it was finally starting to feel real, like she could make it here. The butterflies had come back.

Percy walked over to his desk and turned down the music until it was nothing more than background noise. "Sorry about that earlier… I wasn't expecting you until tonight."

Annabeth clamped her jaw tight, straining the muscles in her neck. The thought of it alone was enough to send her gut into a twist. She shuddered and hid it by palming the back of her neck.

"It's cool, bro."

Percy gave her a look, like he hadn't really expected her to be the type of guy to use the word 'bro' so casually. Or maybe she looked _exactly_ like the kind who would. She wasn't sure which scared her more.

Regardless, Percy shrugged and turned to his dresser. He pulled out a t-shirt and slipped it over his head.

"I'll get outta here and let you get settled. You want a Coke?"

"Uh, yeah. How much?"

"On me," he said as he tapped his feet into a pair of sliders and vanished out the door.

Annabeth was left alone with the ghost of his shower, it smelled like the beach - tricking her enough to almost think he had an ocean hiding behind one of the curtains. It relaxed her, sending her shoulders into a slouch. She hadn't realized she had been so stiff the whole time. She tried to take a breath, but the chest wrap was doing its job in making sure it wasn't going anywhere.

She scratched at it beneath her blazer and rolled her shoulders.

Her suitcase was packed full of her new clothes, baggy enough to hide her curves, like sweatshirts and cargo pants for when she wasn't required to wear the uniform. She changed into them quickly, leaving the ace bandage rolled up in her pocket so she could finally unwind.

It didn't take her long to unpack, and she made sure to tuck her tampons and away into the dresser drawer, buried under a stack of t-shirts. Hiding the fact that she was a girl from her roommate would be the most difficult part. She could do everything but stop her period. If he found any trace of it, she would be in huge trouble.

With another clench of her jaw, she was determined to do everything in her power to make sure that never happened.

After she made her bed, Annabeth got to work on organizing her desk. She arranged her text books in a row against the wall in alphabetical order. But everything just looked so… plain.

She couldn't have pictures of her family like Percy did, otherwise questions would be asked about who that blonde girl was in all of them. She didn't have trophies or proof of her accomplishments as an academic. The only personal effects she carried was her father's college ring hanging from a chain around her neck and the laptop he bought for her before she left home.

"Study well," he had said, trusting her implicitly when she told him she was going to Herald Prep for Girls, promising not to visit because she begged him not to so she could focus on her grades, and that he looked forward to seeing her at Thanksgiving.

Annabeth was lying to everyone in her life.

They would never understand what she was risking to do what she wanted. It wasn't fair that the best architecture school was only for boys. But after this, she could get into any college she wanted, finally achieving everything she ever physically ached for. One day, her skyscrapers were going to silhouette the New York skyline.

One Day.

And this was Day One.

Annabeth's eyes fell on Percy's desk, admiring all of the pictures there. She picked one up. It showed a smiling, gorgeous woman whose arms were wrapped around little Percy - maybe ten years old - near a pool as he beamed and held up a trophy for the camera.

By how similar their grins were, Annabeth would bet a million bucks that it was his mother.

She must be so proud of him.

She doubted her father would feel the same if he ever found out what she was doing.

The frame nearly dropped out of her hand when she heard Percy come back in. She set it back down before he could notice.

"I can never find my name on these things," he grumbled, holding two bottles in one hand as he kicked off his shoes. "Here."

He tossed her a bottle - ANDREW on the label - and she caught it. Percy twisted his open (settling for Robert instead) and drank from it as he flopped onto his bed. He was none the wiser about how lucky he was.


	4. Luck and Bacon

**A/N: As many of you have acutely noticed, this is a She's the Man AU! Thank you all so much for the support. It's been a lot of fun doing something long-term like this. I hope you're enjoying it so far!**

* * *

The next morning, Annabeth woke and immediately forgot where she was. The paint on the ceiling was too white, the room didn't smell like the lemon tree that was right outside her window, the bed was too stiff and springy and creaked when she shifted. This wasn't her room. Like someone dumping a cold bucket of water over her head, her memories came flooding back.

She had fallen asleep well after Percy had shut out his light and sighed right before he grew quiet and eventually his gentle snores were the only thing she could hear in the dark.

She didn't remember falling asleep, and probably didn't get much of it - what with the nerves bubbling up in her belly. Now that it was morning, she definitely wasn't going back to bed.

To make sure she wasn't going to wake him up, Annabeth leaned over the edge of her mattress and checked on Percy.

But his bed was empty - the sheets having been kicked to the bottom of it.

She scrunched her eyebrows and pouted, curious to know where it was he had disappeared to this early on a Monday - with a sickening lurch, Annabeth checked the alarm clock: 6:43am.

She let out a breath. There was still forty-five minutes until she had to be at her first class.

The hardwood floor was frigid underfoot when she hopped down from the ladder. She cooed as she skipped to the rug in the middle of the room and reminded herself to wear a pair of slides like Percy did.

It was a quick hop to the dark bathroom which flickered to life when she flipped the switch. A grin spread on her lips. She had the whole bathroom to herself. If Percy was out, she had time to take a long, much needed shower, wrap her chest, and get ready for the day.

The steam was welcome as it filled the room, thick and hot, as the shower hissed against the linoleum. She let the water spill over her short hair and onto her shoulders, absolutely loving every second. She laughed, a euphoric lightness in her belly, and shampooed her hair all the while dancing to a song in her head.

"Andy?" Percy's voice was muffled on the other side of the bathroom door. He must have just gotten back.

Annabeth poked her head out from behind the shower glass window, wide-eyed. "Uh, yeah?" Annabeth's gaze was fixated on the doorknob in case it twisted even a millimeter. If he caught her like this -

"Hurry up! You're sitting with us at breakfast."

"Breakfast?"

"In five."

Annabeth took a breath. She had to rush. She rinsed clean and shut off the water.

When she hopped out of the shower and dried off with a towel, she realized - as her stomach sank like a submarine - that she had left her uniform in the main room, where Percy was.

She stared at the door, the only thing keeping her secret intact, as her mind wracked for a solution. In her bleary-eyed state, she had completely forgotten to plan ahead. Coffee would have been the better first step, now she was paying the price.

"You go on ahead without me," she said, hoping against hope that he would.

"No way. I'm not gonna just leave you behind."

She cringed and silently cursed. The only other answer was quickly presenting itself to her. If she put up a fight, demanding for Percy to leave, she would make things awkward. She didn't want him to have any reason to think she was hiding something. That made people curious. And curiosity led to discovery.

All she had was a towel and, hopefully, a little bit of luck.

She hoisted the towel up to cover her chest and thighs and opened the door - but only just.

Percy's back was to her, already dressed in his uniform, and he was doing something at his desk, either completely unaware that she was there or didn't care.

Her eyes darted to her uniform on its hanger notched over one of her dresser drawer knobs. She took a deep breath and bolted from the bathroom.

Her feet flew fast across the hardwood as quietly as possible. She grabbed her uniform in a single swoop and disappeared back into the bathroom before Percy even turned around.

"You gotta have the pancakes," he said. "I mean, it's not as good as my mom's but… close enough."

Annabeth pressed herself up against the door, a palm on her chest calmed the heart that beat underneath her trembling fingers. She sighed and rested the back of her head on the door. The secret was still hers.

* * *

Percy was waiting for her by the door. His hair was damp and swept back off of his forehead.

"Are you an early riser?" she asked, hefting her backpack onto her shoulder.

"Gotta get my morning swim in sometime."

"When did you start?"

"About four-thirty."

"No," Annabeth smiled. "I meant when you first started swimming."

"My mom says I was three, but I don't really remember. Apparently my dad was so excited. He was a huge swimmer too."

"Oh, that's cool."

Annabeth didn't really pry on the whole 'was' part. Based on the way Percy's gaze dropped to the floor and his shoulders straightened, he didn't want to talk about it either.

"Come on, we're gonna be late," Percy said with a wave to the door.

* * *

"So then she said to me, 'Don't push your luck, Leo Valdez.' Guys - you know what this means! She totally digs me."

Jason's eyebrows cinched together. "I don't believe you for a second. Where does this _girlfriend_ live, by chance?"

"Far away," Leo said, flushed. "You've never heard of it."

The table snickered into their breakfasts while Leo tried to defend what little of a convincing story he had left.

Annabeth was already starting to feel like one of the guys. She liked Percy's friends and they seemed to like her well enough too.

There was Leo Valdez, the tech nerd who worked at the concession stand on the lower floor of the dorm wing called the FEST. ("Only because back in the day it was called the FEAST and someone scratched out the A and even though they replaced the sign, the name stuck," Leo explained.) If she ever needed a Coke or a candy bar, Leo said he could hook her up. Well, he could hook _Andy_ up.

Next to him was Frank Zhang. He was an archer and apparently one of the top in the state. His smile was kind and he hadn't yet seemed to realize that he had grown into his size at one point. It was like a puppy had turned into a human being, who still had that puppy-like quality about him.

Across from him sat Nico di Angelo, the quiet one. He liked to linger on the edge of the conversation, looking up at the rest from under his dark bangs and rarely joining in. When he did speak, he liked using his hands. He was intense for someone so quiet. Annabeth caught him staring at her twice during breakfast, and his eyes flicked to Percy after she met his gaze then turned back to his omelette. Annabeth ran a hand through her hair and tried to act natural.

"Percy, if you're still hungry, go get more," Jason said, fork hovering over Percy's hand as it stole a few slices of bacon from his plate.

"But other people's food tastes so much better!" Percy said through a mouthful.

Jason was sitting next to Nico, Percy next to him. They battled over the last of Jason's breakfast, all the while Jason laughed and smiled and used his elbow as defense, but Percy won in the end.

The bell rang, echoing all through the cafeteria, and each student started packing up.

Everyone at the table stood and turned in their trays, all talking to themselves about how they hadn't studied for a quiz or asking what the other got for answer number four on last night's homework. Annabeth, a little apart from the group, took out her schedule and checked it for about the billionth time.

"Whatchya got first?" Percy asked from behind, leaning over her shoulder and getting close. She could smell the chlorine still on his skin and his breath smelled like the bacon he had just eaten.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Mythology with -"

"Brunner. Yeah, same class as me!"

Percy led the way through the crowd to their first class and into a hallway.

Annabeth repeated the name over and over in her head:_ Brunner. Brunner._ It wasn't a common name, one that at least she hadn't heard much of, but it tickled the back of her memory. She had a class back in middle school that was taught by a Mr. Brunner. He loved every kind of mythology, especially Greek, so he was the perfect teacher for the job. It was one that ranked high on Annabeth's list of favorite classes, even over some math and physics courses. Maybe that's why she chose to take one now. It wasn't in her field of study, but it was important to branch out from her concentration to give her brain a bit of a break.

Mr. Brunner had pushed her to becoming a better student, helped her become more focused, more critical in her thinking. She always loved a challenge and he seemed to like that. When she left middle school, she hadn't seen him again, though his nickname stuck. Everyone called him -

"Chiron," Percy said. "That's what he likes to go by. He's really cool, you'll like him."

A teetering nausea hit her like a bag of bricks and before she could even process her next move, Percy opened the door to a classroom for her.

Sitting in a wheelchair, reading a book at his desk - salt-and-peppered hair, tweed jacket, weathered visage - was none other than the same Mr. Brunner.

Annabeth - swallowing hard - prayed she hadn't used up the rest of her luck yet.


	5. Distractions and Dumb Luck

Annabeth let out a small "Eep!" and held her hand up to her face.

"Did you just sneeze?" Percy asked from somewhere beside her.

She simply nodded.

"Then, bless you. I think?" Annabeth squeezed her jaw tight and Percy nudged her in the back. "C'mon, dude, you're in the way."

Annabeth was forced to take a step into the classroom and Percy slid past her. Through her fingers, she saw Chrion was still reading, not having looked up at the students taking their seats. Instinct told her to run and never come back, but that would mean risking everything. It was too late to change her schedule. She had no other choice.

Hand still over her face, Annabeth took the long way around the room. She wasn't going to let Chiron get a good look at her as if her life depended on it. Actually, it really did.

Percy had taken a spot at the far back of the classroom near the window and he waved her over to the open seat in front of him.

All the while, Annabeth had her hand masking her features like she was the lamest superhero in existence.

"Do you have a bloody nose or something?" Percy asked once Annabeth had taken her seat.

Annabeth didn't say anything. Instead she fetched her textbook from her bag and propped it up on the desk so she could hide behind it. Chances were Chrion may not recognize her. He was a teacher, meeting hundreds of students a year. Her face was just another in the crowd. She poked her eyes up just over top of the book right as the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Chiron was smiling as he addressed them all.

"Good morning, everyone," Chiron said, scanning the room. "Let's begin with rollcall, as usual. Austin Andries?"

While students raised their hands one by one as they were called, Annabeth mentally prepared herself for any kind of scenario. Everything from playing it cool to setting the classroom on fire was filed and sorted in her brain, just in case she needed any of them to keep her secret safe.

Annabeth's stomach practically dropped through her chair though when Chiron perked up after reading a name on the list. "Oh! It looks like we have a new student. Andrew Chase!"

Annabeth kept her voice as low as possible. "Here."

"Where? I can't see you." Chiron craned his neck, scanning the room for the source.

All other students started looking around too, curious to check out the new guy. All the blood fell from her face because she could feel Percy's gaze simmering on the back of her head. Slowly, she raised her hand.

"There you are! Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?"

Setting fire to the room would be a pretty good option right now. Instead, Annabeth - still hiding behind her book - said, "No thanks."

"I'm sure we'll get to know you well soon enough. Alright, next - Lee Fletcher?"

Annabeth sighed and laid her head down on the desk.

Once he had finished taking attendance, Chiron handed back quizzes from last week. Since she hadn't taken it, Chiron simply smiled at her as he went by. She continued pretending to read, though her eyes weren't moving.

Chiron made it to Percy's desk and quieted his voice so it was masked by the conversations the other students were having while they waited - but Annabeth heard the whole thing.

"Not your best, Percy…"

Percy's breath hitched.

"Don't lose hope. I know you understand the material. Next time, okay?"

"Yessir."

Chiron moved on and Annabeth chanced a look over her shoulder. She knew it was none of her business, yet she couldn't help but turn when Percy crumpled up the paper in his fist and hid it under his book. He blinked a few times, his face downturned, then his eyes caught hers.

Annabeth spun forward again and flushed. He probably thought she was a busy-body, sticking her nose in other people's personal problems. She would have hated it if some guy she only met yesterday was listening in on her failing a class. Percy was embarrassed, and she didn't blame him.

Chiron was at the front again and beginning his lecture, complete with a power point presentation all about Athena.

"The goddess represented herself in many ways, inhibiting masculine and feminine disguises. She thought of herself as both, conforming to neither one or the other but embracing the qualities that bridge the genders - wisdom, defense, and justice. If you turn to page two-ninety in your textbooks..."

Annabeth would have been paying attention, if not for the constant awareness that Percy was right behind her - tapping his pencil, bouncing his leg, scribbling everything down when he thought it was important. He had a lot of nervous energy built up and nowhere to put it. She could tell he tried hard in class, but he was all over the place.

Before she even realized it, class was over. She had been too busy listening to Percy to pay attention to the lesson. Never before had she ignored a whole class before - never before had she been so distracted.

The bell rang and her classmates got up in unison, their excited buzz drowning out Chiron's final reminders to do the reading for that night.

Annabeth was - regrettably - one of the last lined up at the door. Percy had already ducked out, practically running to his next class so Annabeth was on her own. Fortunately, Chiron was busy sorting his papers on his desk to look up. Still, Annabeth waited impatiently at the end of the pack, peering over their heads to try to find a way she could worm her way out into the hallway, but Chiron's voice made her freeze.

"You know," he said, not looking up from his papers, "I once had a student - a bright, clever girl - who didn't take kindly to those who tried to tell her what she couldn't do."

Annabeth didn't move - or rather she couldn't move, not even when the other students had filed through the door and left the class quiet, save for her heart beating hard in her throat.

She felt cold, helpless - like he was holding her fate over jagged rocks, ready to dash it to pieces and bring her down with it.

When she turned to face him though, his smile was gentle - warm even. It confused her.

Mouth working, Annabeth tried in vain to come up with a believable story. "I - I don't know what you're talking about," she finally said, her voice cracking as it went. _Good one._

Chiron's smile stayed in place, even when he leaned back in his wheelchair to get a better look at her. "It's hard to forget a favorite student."

Heat rose on her cheeks and she palmed the back of her neck. "I've never met you before in my life."

It hurt to lie, especially to him - after all he had done for her as his student. He was a teacher who actually cared about his students, someone who wanted to see them succeed and be excited about learning. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for him to sit back and turn on the Jason and the Argonauts movie and be done with it. And that's why it made it so hard for her to lie.

"I have a twin sister," she said, rolling with it. "That could be why I look familiar."

"I see…" Chiron nodded, still smiling. "I'll be here whenever you need to talk."

Annabeth took a step backward then spun around and marched out of the classroom. Her vision blurred as if someone had knocked her over the head. She felt like puking. All of her planning, all of the thought that went into this - and she was going to lose it all because of sheer _dumb luck. _She had never planned for her past to catch up with her, here of all places.

An arm wrapped around her throat and bent her over as knuckles dug themselves into her scalp. She barely managed to turn to her head to see Leo holding her tightly in a headlock, grinning impishly as they walked together down the hallway.

"What's this I hear about a twin sister? You're holding out on me, new guy!"

"Ow, Leo…"

"Tell me _everything_!"


	6. Hot Babes and Hot Bods

"So what's her name? What's she look like? Wait - that's a stupid question, right? - if you're twins and all -"

Annabeth tugged on Leo's wrist but he held on tight as he practically dragged her down the hallway. It was getting hard to breathe, and even as she struggled his forearm dug harder into her throat. He didn't seem to notice though because he was talking a mile-a-minute and grinning the whole time.

Perhaps she should look into lip-sealing surgery so she could stop herself from opening her stupid mouth and make things worse. Now there were more lies on top of more lies to keep track of.

"Leo, get off," she grunted but he didn't listen.

"- but probably not as ugly as you. Where does she go to school? Does she have Instagram?"

With a huff, Annabeth planted her feet on the floor and clutched onto Leo's thumb then pulled it down to meet his wrist. Immediately he let her go but she didn't.

"_Ay ay ay ay ay ay!_" he winced, his voice getting higher with each word.

Mercifully, she released her grip and he cradled his hand.

Annabeth turned and carried on down the hallway. "She's a very private person and doesn't really like attention." Where she was walking to, she didn't know - anywhere but here.

Leo skipped to catch up, apparently not getting the hint.

"She's hot, isn't she," Leo said, his eyes practically blazing like the sun.

This rubbed her the wrong way. Her teeth nipped so hard at her lips, trying to keep them as thin as possible, she actually tasted blood.

"Oh man! _She is!_" Leo said, bouncing like a kid at Disneyland.

Annabeth stopped and turned to face him, her voice as stony as her eyes. "Is that all that matters to you? Her being hot?"

Blinking a few times, he replied slowly, "Well, it helps…"

Annabeth's eyes flashed.

Leo recoiled, like Annabeth had slapped him, and she was close to actually doing it. The fact that she got protective over herself as her own sister was enough to send her thoughts into a pretzel formation.

"Don't you already have your girlfriend? Callie-something?"

"Well, it's not official yet…"

Annabeth actually laughed and carried on down the hallway.

" - but I have a weakness! I like things I know I can't have."

Annabeth glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. _At least he's self-aware… _She softened a bit and had to give it to him: he was persistent even though completely delusional. He still had to be put in his place though.

She stopped in the middle of the hall again and pointed a threatening finger at him, which he almost walked into.

"Stay away from my sister. She's a lot scarier than me. She knows krav maga." Even though it was part of a lie, it was still technically the truth. Annabeth had been known to throw a person around every now and again, granted it was on a blue mat under the careful watch of a coach… but he didn't need to know that.

Leo's eyes widened, though she wasn't sure if it was because he was scared or a little turned on. To her horror, maybe both.

"Oh my God," Annabeth groaned in disbelief, heading toward (in what she hoped to be) her next class.

"A girl after my own heart!" she heard Leo sigh.

* * *

The rest of the day went like a blur.

Annabeth was overwhelmed with all of the information dumped on her in just a matter of hours and she loved it. Calculus, Physics, and (her other elective) Astronomy had all piled her with tons of homework, weighing her backpack down enough to make her feel like it would be worthwhile. Even the classes sucked what brain power she had left, making her head feel like it had been wrung like a sponge. The academy was already living up to its rigorous curriculum and coursework.

She was in the right place for sure.

She didn't see Percy the rest of the day. Even at lunch when she sat down with the other guys, Percy was nowhere to be found. It wasn't bad though, his friends were pleasant enough. She actually started joining in on the conversation, taking a chance at a joke every now and then which - thankfully - got some laughs. She started feeling like it was easier making friends now that she had an "in" through Percy. Leo had even let up considerably, which was a relief - she wasn't really in the mood to defend her own honor any more that day.

By the time the last bell rang, Annabeth was exhausted. Not sleeping last night was catching up to her. She resigned to take a nap as soon as she got back to her room before she would even _think_ about doing her homework.

Her last class, Biology, was all the way on the other side of campus, so she had to truck past the library, cut through the student-run gardens (taking a moment to smell the strawberries), avoid getting hit in the head by a rogue football in the quad, and round the entire building dedicated to the Olympic-like gym before she was even close to the dorm.

The whole incident with Chiron weighed on her mind, almost as heavily as the backpack on her shoulders, making it seem like the walk home was ten times longer than it should have been. Now that she wasn't being bogged down by lightning-fast lectures, she was left with her own thoughts.

Based on their conversation, Chiron seemed more pleased than accusatory with his discovery. If he really wanted Annabeth to get caught, she would have been sitting in the headmaster's office right about now trying to explain herself.

Maybe he wanted to see her succeed just as much as she did.

There was a row of windows along the outer gym wall, and she heard a splash and voices within. It was then she recognized the smell again: _Chlorine_.

Through the afternoon sunlight glaring on the window, she could see the pool. The water was churning with dozens of figures peeling through its surface, going back and forth along the divided lanes as they practiced their strokes.

The noise of it echoed in the hall, bouncing off the empty bleachers and into the high ceiling illuminated by gigantic phosphorescent lights that looked like their own miniature suns.

The swimmers were in perfect form as they went - butterfly, freestyle, breast, backstroke… It was like a flurry of well-trained birds, darting through the water to the sound of a sharp whistle blow.

And they were all fit as _hell_.

One of the boys in the pool reached the end and pulled himself up and out of the water. Even with his jammers on, Annabeth would recognize that body out of a lineup. It had been branded there in her memory, after all.

Percy lifted his goggles from his eyes and pulled his swimming cap from his head. He shook out his wet hair and joined a group of his teammates against the wall, talking about something and motioning a turn.

The water dripped from his bent elbows, and Annabeth's gaze followed the droplets that crashed onto his feet, up the statuesque cut of his calves, over the curve of his thighs, lingering at the firmness of his butt - the clench of it when he bent over to scratch his foot - the narrowness of his waist - the breadth of his back - _oh wow_. When he mimed another stroke, the muscles in his shoulders puckered and pulled against his copper skin.

It was as if an expert hand had carved him from metal, finely sculpting each feature only an artist could capture. Her heart melted somewhere considerably south of her chest.

He did a little jig - probably after telling a joke or something - and his teammates laughed.

"Jackson!" the short, round coach screamed from the edge of the pool, holding a stopwatch and a clipboard. The name HEDGE read across his jersey's shoulders. "Again!"

Percy forgoed his swimming cap and tossed it out of the way, stepped onto the diving block, pulled his goggles down and bent over for the signal.

Unwittingly, Annabeth had been holding her breath the whole time, watching him with sober attention. The way his biceps flexed when he readied himself, waiting for the whistle to blow, made Annabeth's heart pound.

It was like when she lined up for a race, tasting the adrenaline in the back of her throat - metallic but sweet - and visualized the course ahead of her. His knee twitching with excitement, her breath slow and steady right before it burned a hole right through him, a smile inching its way across his lips… She knew that feeling so well.

She was living the rush through him, itching to go already.

The whistle was like a bark and Percy leapt from the block and - in perfect form - dove. He moved so gracefully, slicing through the air like a blade, it looked like he was flying. He splashed down and became nothing more than a shadow beneath the surface, until his long arms broke it and pulled him through the water in a front crawl. He was so fluid, it was as if he himself had been turned into liquid.

And he was fast - faster than his teammates that was for sure. Her heart was in her throat as he went, made the turn, then shot back to the start. He came to the surface again, his face lifted toward the window when he took a breath, toward Annabeth where she stood dumbstruck, but showed no sign of slowing down.

His feet fluttered - her heart fluttered.

He stretched and touched the wall to Coach Hedge's yelp of victory and marked the time down on his clipboard. The other swimmer waiting on the block went next and Percy pulled himself out once more.

A towel waited for him on an empty bleacher and he used it on his hair then dried his face.

Annabeth's focus shifted and her reflection in the window came into view. Andrew Chase was staring back at her - short curls, straight eyebrows - a boy.

She ran her fingers through her hair, Andrew did the same. It grounded her. She wasn't here to oggle half-naked men. It wasn't part of the plan.

She blinked and she was looking at Percy again - who was also looking back. He brightened and gave the tiniest of waves to her before heat blossomed to her cheeks. Had he noticed that she was checking him out? Or worse - had he noticed that she was checking _herself_ out?

With a twist of her wrist, she returned the wave and scampered away from the window. Maybe when she got back to the room she would do her homework - it would calm her down faster than a cold shower anyway.


	7. Dreamers and Jammers

Annabeth was a hypocrite. Fact.

She had scolded Leo for obsessing over whether or not Annabeth's fake twin sister was hot, and there she was, practically drooling over swimming boys - one of which was her roommate, and that did not help with the awkward situation she was already in.

Even then, when she sat at her desk, resting her forehead on her fist and trying her best to concentrate on the jumble of astronomy terms, all she could think about was the water that trickled from Percy's strong brows, the way his forearms flexed when he pulled himself from the pool, how the smile brightened his whole face - _no, no! Get yourself under control._

She knocked her temple with her knuckle. _Hello? Is the real Annabeth in there?_

Boys were not the priority. Her future career was. It wasn't that she didn't like boys, because wow, did she ever (_jammers, eyes, messy hair - ENOUGH_), it was that her vision was always pointed toward that skyline by her design. If a boy happened to be at her side during such time, it would be an added bonus. (_Maybe sucking on her neck too and smelling like bacon and chlorine - DAMMIT STOP_)

At least, that was the dream. If she knew anything about relationships, it was that sometimes they ended. Her father was proof enough of that.

But she wanted both. She wanted her dream job and she wanted her dream guy too, though it was she who dug her own grave on that front. _She_ was the one who signed up for an all-boys school. _She_ was the one who chose to hide her true identity. _She_ was the one who gave up one for the other.

That's why she had to focus on the realities before her. She was a boy - a _boy_ for chrissake. And Percy only thought of her as one. There was no possible situation in which it would be appropriate for her to check Percy out like he was a hunk of meat. _A piece of solid, well-toned, without an inch of fat hunk of man meat._

She groaned and sunk her face down into the open book. It was futile.

The door opened and Annabeth sat bolt upright.

"Hey," Percy said, coming in wearing his warm-up jacket and pants.

"Hey!" Annabeth practically bellowed, like she had swallowed a whole mouthful of gravel. She refused to look him in the eye and chose to focus on the book in front of her. She could sense his every movement - the hesitation at her greeting, a breathy laugh, his slides clapping on the hardwood floor, the creak of his bed as he settled into it. He brought the air of chlorine in with him and she was drowning in it.

She clamped her lips tight as her stomach did parabolas. It wasn't even the fact that he was hot. He was nice, and thoughtful, and not a total douche for an all-star swimming god and Annabeth felt like a total creep.

If she was going to survive the year, she was going to have to try a lot harder.

"I have to go," she said, jumping to her feet. She scooped up her books and piled them in her arms.

"Where are you -"

"Library. Bye."

"Bye?"

* * *

Best way to take care of a situation? Avoid it.

Annabeth was becoming a master at ducking and dodging. It took lots of hiding behind statues and columns whenever he was around before she finally figured out Percy's schedule. She had to plan exactly when and where she needed to be without having to see him for extended periods of time, hence lowering awkwardness levels to a minimum.

He got up early in the mornings, swam, ate breakfast, went to class, disappeared for lunch (probably swam again), went to his other classes, swam, and came back late for dinner. It was pretty standard and easy for her to memorize. It was all about coordination.

She spent most of her time in the library, tucked away in-between the towering shelves with nothing but the music in her headphones, her laptop, books, and a snack or two. At one point, she considered dragging her mattress there so she could just move in and save herself the hassle.

The library was old - that kind of musty old that came with lots of dust and that thick, yellowing paper smell - complete with mahogany plush chairs, stained glass windows that let in beams of colored light, and thousands upon thousands of books.

To her credit, awkwardness levels had decreased. At least, she thought it had. She hadn't spoken to Percy about anything since Monday other than a few "Hey"s and the occasional "'Night"s. A few days had already passed and she was doing great at pretending like everything was completely normal.

She got her papers done, her assignments complete, chapters read, essays researched and still had time to watch a movie on Netflix every now and then so she could go back to her dorm and go to sleep long after Percy was KO'd. All she had to do was keep this up for another nine and a half months and she'd be golden.

But she couldn't stay locked up in the library forever. Being inside for so long made her feel... itchy, antsy, cooped up. She needed to move, to go outside, to do something.

So Friday afternoon, while Percy was at practice, Annabeth got dressed for a much-needed run around campus. As she stood in front of the mirror, inspecting the hoodie to make sure the sports bra was doing its job in keeping everything contained, she moved to tie her hair back on instinct. Instead, her fingers grabbed her short hair and froze.

She had completely forgotten that her hair was gone, and it was actually a good thing. Maybe this whole being a guy act wasn't that big of a deal. She had to smile at that.

The run was comfortable, more of a pleasant jog than anything because she wanted to get to know the surrounding area. The main campus was nestled into a forest, so she followed a well-worn trail that cut through the trees, probably used by old cross-country runners in the past. Her steady breaths, repetitive footfalls, and the hypnotic swing of her arms lulled her into a trance. It calmed her almost instantly, though it was quite odd that she didn't feel the swish of her ponytail against the back of her neck whenever she took a step. Perhaps she would keep the short hair, even after all of this was over. No more hours of wet hair after a shower, no more unbearable heat under pounds of thick curls, no more tangled mess in the mornings that looks like a rat had made its home there. It was actually quite liberating.

She circled campus twice, probably a three-mile circuit, and decided to head back.

By then, the campus was bustling, only because most everyone was heading home for the weekend. Annabeth didn't have that luxury, and it kind of stung a little. She missed having a friend, or at least someone to talk to.

She still had time to take a shower before Percy would get home, so she hurried upstairs and turned down the corridor to her room. But sitting on the floor of the hallway was a figure in front of Jason's door. At first, Annabeth thought it was Percy, wearing a baseball cap with a hood pulled up, but the guy was smaller.

She tried to smile at him when she got close, but his cap was pulled so low she couldn't see his face. After opening her door, she paused.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

The guy shook his head. "Waiting for Jason." His voice was a little too sweet.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. Before she stepped inside, a voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

"Surprise dorm inspections will now commence. Any contraband such as alcohol, cigarettes, candles, or kitchen appliances will be confiscated. Please -"

But Annabeth didn't hear the rest. All she could think about were the tampons stored away in her dresser drawer.

Apparently the stranger in the hat didn't like the announcement of inspections either because his head snapped up and Annabeth realized that he was really a she - and she was stunning.

Her dark hair was tucked up underneath the baseball cap, but that didn't hide her gorgeous eyes or full lips from the obvious. Her skin was flawless and as smooth as polished bronze.

"Oh crap," the girl groaned.

Annabeth put two and two together. It wasn't a visitor day, nor did she have a visitor nametag. If she was discovered on campus, she would be in big trouble.

"Quick," Annabeth said, stepping into her room. "Hide in here."

The girl scrambled to her feet and hurried after her just as a group of students in purple polos marched down the hall. She looked around, wide-eyed, searching for any place to go when Annabeth pointed.

"Bathroom."

The girl rushed inside and closed the door behind her. Annabeth spun around just in time to see a skinny tow-headed boy with a snooty face and a clipboard come into her room. Either his parents thought it would be a good character-building exercise or they were just cruel because his name tag read OCTAVIAN.

"Jackson. Chase. Thirty-six." His voice was grating. Annabeth already hated him. He gave her a once over, his lips pursed like he was sucking on a lemon, and then sauntered over to their desks. He shuffled some papers on Percy's and _tsk_ed at what he saw. Before Annabeth could even wonder what he was disapproving of, he made a note on his clipboard.

"Demerit for lack of cleanliness…"

Annabeth scrunched her eyebrows. That was an exaggeration. Percy wasn't the tidiest guy in the world, but he definitely wasn't the dirtiest. Annabeth felt an inherent need to defend him, but by the way Octavian was looking at her, the guy seemed like he wanted any reason to make another note in his inspection.

He eyeballed Annabeth's dresser and approached it, so Annabeth held her breath. Octavian merely glanced over the top of it, a little disappointed he didn't find anything glaringly out of code and sighed. Annabeth wondered if they were even allowed to open her dresser without proper cause.

She stiffened when Octavian came close to the bathroom next. "Step aside," he said, waving his pencil at her.

"Oh no, you don't want to go in there," Annabeth said, her mind racing.

Octavian narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"My roommate had a breakfast burrito and - " she fanned her nose, like something unpleasant was lingering there " - it is not agreeing with him."

He squinted, tonguing the inside of his cheek. "What kind of burrito?"

"Beef."

"Huh… Make sure he cleans up for next inspection." Scrunching his nose, he looked the door up and down and turned on his heel and disappeared into the hallway. Annabeth hurried after him and watched as he went down to the next room.

Annabeth waited a few beats and then shut her door tight. She went back to the bathroom to see the girl waiting there, flushed and smiling.

"Oh my God, that was close," she said. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," Annabeth said, smiling back. She was getting really good at being deceitful.

"Seriously, quick thinking. I was on the verge of making some farting noises just to sell it, you know, play the part."

"I think that would have been a little too much."

"Yeah, probably."

They shared a laugh.

"I'm Piper, by the way," the girl said, holding out her hand.

"Anna- Andy." _Shit_. Her eyes went too wide and her smile felt too big when she shook with Piper.

Piper merely raised an eyebrow and teased, "Alright, 'Anna-andy.' You're Percy's new roomie?"

"Uh, yeah. He's out though."

"Yeah, not surprised. The dude is a workaholic."

"No kidding. You're here to see Jason?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of his girlfriend. You'd think he'd be on time for once. Betchya soccer went late again."

"Do you live nearby?"

"Yeah, Herald Prep down the street."

Annabeth perked up. To think, Annabeth might have been roommates with Piper if she had played by the rules. And even then Piper still found a way onto Bolt's campus. They were a couple of rule breakers to match.

Piper's phone buzzed. She reached into her back pocket and saw the name on the screen. "Speak of the devil…" she said, and held the phone up to her ear. "Yo, where are you?"

Piper moved to the door and opened it to find Jason there, standing with a phone up to his ear. The funk of his sweaty shinguards was undeniable even if they were hidden away in his duffle.

"Andy just saved my butt," Piper explained, pocketing her phone once more.

Jason gave Annabeth a nod with his chin. Suddenly Annabeth realized that he was sizing her up, making sure that Andy wasn't trying to hit on Piper. It was actually hilarious and she tried not to laugh.

"What's up?" he asked of Piper.

"Dorm inspections."

"Oh man, I hope they didn't get my coffee maker..." Jason glanced at Annabeth again. She just smiled. "Come on," he said, holding his hand out for Piper to take.

She did and waved to Annabeth. "See ya! Thanks again!"


	8. Shuns and Storms

Andy was acting weird, even Percy could see that. He just didn't get why.

Had he said something that would have offended Andy? Percy racked his brain constantly, trying to remember if he had blabbed something stupid or insensitive. Unless Andy didn't like puns and really bad jokes, he couldn't, for the life of him, think of anything that would count.

Had he done something, maybe? But again, he couldn't think what. Percy knew he was messy, but could Andy really hold it against him? If he had a problem with it, he should say something instead of pretending Percy didn't exist.

The one conclusion he kept coming back to was that maybe Andy just hated him and Percy couldn't help but take it personally. Maybe he smelled bad. Maybe he was annoying. Maybe he snored too loud.

He was thinking about it so much, it was even affecting his lap times. Not faster or slower, just the same - which was bad. Coach Hedge had to have a sit down with him and ask if anything was bothering him. He lied and said there wasn't, just not feeling well. Hedge didn't seem to buy it either, but he let him go without more questions.

After practice, he'd rarely see Andy. The few times he did, he was already up in his bunk and sound asleep. It was actually getting pretty lonely.[[MORE]]

When Grover had been his roommate, it was like having a sleepover with his best friend every night. They used to play video games together, order pizza, marathon movies, and - of course - talk. With Andy it was just… awkward.

When Percy did come home to find Andy awake, usually reading or doing homework, they would barely say more than two words to each other.

A few times, Percy tried to start up conversation with a "How was your day?" but Andy jumped up from his desk like it had been electrified and made up some excuse that he forgot his homework, or was going for a run, or had to, as usual, go to the library.

It was stupid being upset by his roommate ignoring him, but Percy couldn't help it. It wasn't like he didn't have any other friends, but the fact that Andy wanted nothing to do with him cut deep.

When Percy hung out with Jason and Piper in his room, playing Super Smash Bros (and getting his ass definitively handed to him) he brought it up, trying to figure out if Andy was being just as distant with them as he was with him. Who else was he supposed to talk to - the back of Andy's head?

"So, uh, what do you guys think of Andy?"

"What about him?" Jason asked, not tearing his eyes away from the screen.

"I like him, he's nice," Piper added.

"He was hitting on you though," Jason said, a twinge of jealousy downturning his lips.

"He was not! I promise." She smiled, that kind of smile that meant she knew something they didn't. Piper wasn't the kind to cheat, and the way she said it made Percy think she liked riling Jason up just for the fun of it.

"Yeah, well, I know how guys are."

"Trust me," she said, and pecked Jason on the lips.

"I do trust you. It's just, if he ever makes you uncomfortable…"

"You'll be the first to know."

He kissed her just as she spin-kicked his character off the arena. The way they cuddled and kissed and held each other made Percy feel more useless than nipples on a dude.

When they started getting a little _too_ into it, Percy took that as his cue to leave.

If Andy was nice to Piper, that meant that whatever Percy had done was enough to put him on Andy's 'shit list' forever. He felt guilty and like a total jerk. Why did Andy hate him so much?

* * *

Thunder rumbled overhead just as Percy made it to his room. It had been raining non-stop for a week. In fact, it got so torrential, Percy got as soaked sprinting from the gym to the dorm as he did in the pool.

To his surprise, Andy was sitting at his desk to work on his laptop instead of in the library. Andy turned to see at him, slightly wide-eyed, like he hadn't expected Percy to be home, and slammed his laptop shut.

Had he been watching porn? Percy didn't care, but they should establish a code whenever Andy wanted his personal time, like a sock on the door or something.

"I didn't think you'd be here," Percy said, shuffling further inside.

"The library's closed. Flooding."

"Oh." Percy tapped his toe on the hardwood floor. "Do you like books?" Percy didn't particularly enjoy reading, but Andy did so it was a good place to start.

Instead of answering, Andy got up and said, "I'm going to go for a -" Lightning cracked like a flashbulb and the thunder growled in response. He wasn't going outdoors anytime soon.

"It's really bad out there," Percy said. "Pretty sure you'd need scuba gear to go for a run."

Andy plopped back down at his desk while Percy kicked his slides off and went to the bathroom for a towel and dried his hair. The rain had chilled him to the bone, so he also pulled off his soaked t-shirt and hung it to dry on the towel rack. When he came back out into the main room, Andy was pointedly staring at his closed laptop.

"I can call for pizza if you want," Percy offered with a grin. "Pepperoni good?"

"I really have a lot of work to do."

"I thought you wanted to run."

"Yeah, well…"

"Did you have dinner already?"

"No, but this paper -"

"It can wait. It's Saturday, dude."

Andy still made an effort not to look at him, and the tips of his ears were a little pink. "I can't get distracted," he said.

Distracted? By pizza? Percy thought Marcello's was good, but not _that_ good.

His smile fell a little. He could tell when he was being blown off. "Alright, if you don't want any, that's cool." He went over to his dresser and pulled out a dry shirt and slipped it on.

Andy shifted in his chair and cleared his throat, opened his laptop again and put in his headphones. That was the universal signal that the conversation was over.

It hurt more than Percy cared to admit.

They were just two strangers sharing a room, pretending that the other didn't exist.

After placing the call for delivery, Percy switched on ESPN and started his post-workout workout.

Each crunch he did, the smallest of grunts was forced from his lungs. As he went, he couldn't help but notice the back of Andy's neck getting pinker, almost like a sunburn. He also was not typing. So much for working on a paper.

In a short half-hour, the pizza arrived. Percy tipped the delivery guy and brought the box onto his bed. The smell was, to put it simply, amazing. Grease and cheese and crispy breadsticks - Percy was already drooling before he even opened the top.

He took out a slice and paused when he heard Andy's stomach growl. It was unmistakable and almost as loud as the thunder that echoed it. The lights flickered, the TV sputtered, and then they were thrown into darkness.

"What the - ?" Andy groaned.

Only the light from outside came in through the window and there wasn't much what with the storm of the century raging outside. The wind battered the tops of the trees, throwing them around like they were made of paper. One probably fell and knocked down a line.

"Power's out," Percy said. "It should be back on in a bit. Here."

He flung himself to the edge of his bed and pulled out a shoebox from underneath. Inside he had a dozen candles all of which had already been lit before. There was a lighter inside the box and Percy used it to burn the wicks to give the room a warm yellow glow.

"Wi-Fi down too?" he asked as Andy struggled with the laptop.

"Yeah," he sighed.

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Andy closed the screen and stood up. He stretched and his stomach growled again so he put a fist to his belly like it would help silence it. Percy paused on chewing his food.

"Dude," he said with a full mouth, "if you're hungry, eat. I won't bite."

Andy looked at him and smiled, but it was too tight like he wasn't so sure about that, so Percy held out a slice.

"Come on. The student center is probably closed right now with the power, so you might as well."

Andy looked from the pizza to Percy and back again before taking it. "Thanks," he said, his tone grateful.

"Come on." Percy patted the bed. "Don't just stand there."

Andy took a squat on the edge and then started eating. He let out a "Mmm!" as the cheese melted and ran stringy towards his chin.

"Yeah, I know. Best for miles. Hold on." Percy handed him a wad of napkins and Andy used them all.

Before he knew it, they had eaten the whole pizza together and the lights were still out.

"Thanks for dinner," Andy said, awkwardly clutching his knees in his hands.

"No problem. It's better than doing a paper, right?"

"Right…"

Andy's gaze lingered a little too long on Percy's, so Andy stood and ran a hand through his hair and palmed the back of his neck as he walked away. "I should go. Somewhere."

Percy threw his legs over the side of the bed. "Look, I'm sorry if I've… offended you in any way. I'm not sure if I did or maybe said something that pissed you off, but I just want to apologize."

Andy shook his head and waves his hands. "No, it's not you. It's me."

"What, are you breaking up with me or something?" Percy teased.

Andy flushed and repeated, "No."

"Then why have you been avoiding me?" It was an honest question and he was hoping for an honest answer.

"I haven't been avoiding you…"

Percy raised his eyebrow and settled back against his pillow. "Oh yeah, hiding behind pillars is totally normal."

Andy screwed up his face and sighed. "You saw that?"

Percy nodded.

"I'm sorry. I just really care about my education and I didn't want to…"

"What?"

"It's hard to explain. I handled it poorly and… for that I take the blame. I didn't mean to make you mad."

Percy picked at a piece of oregano stuck in between his molars with his tongue. He took a moment, wondering why someone would go through such great lengths to focus on his schoolwork. Andy must come from a really demanding household if his grades were held to such a high standard.

"I'm not mad," he finally said, and he meant it. "I'm relieved, actually." He smiled at that.

Andy softened.

Thunder rolled again and the lightning brightened the room for half a second. "Jeez," Andy said, moving toward the window. "It's really coming down."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were in the middle of a hurricane." Percy got to his feet and came up behind him to watch the storm cloud swirling overhead.

"Seen a lot of those?"

"Plenty. This one time, my mom and I got stuck on the side of the road during one. It was a mess. But it was actually really fun."

"Is she the one in your pictures?"

"Yeah," he said, and there was an ache in his chest. "I miss her a lot."

"Where is she?"

"New York. Ever been?"

"A few times. Only for camp. Not the city though."

"You're missing out. You should visit sometime. My mom's baking is worth killing for."

"Do you ever think about anything other than food?" Andy teased.

Percy jutted his chin as he thought, then said, "Swimming."

Andy laughed. It was a nice one, the kind that made Percy smile at its air-like quality. It didn't even occur to Percy that this was the longest conversation they had ever had, it just felt so… right.

"I'd get away from the window though, just in case -"

The sky seemed to explode in a tremendous boom, like the storm had set off a bomb. Andy jumped and stumbled backward right into Percy. He caught him and they both went tumbling down with Andy on top in a tangle of arms and legs.

Andy stopped struggling the moment he noticed their faces were almost touching, nose-to-nose. It was like it took him a moment to realize what had happened. His eyes were round and as gray as the storm clouds, his mouth open in a frozen gasp, and he smelled like pepperoni.

"Dude -" Percy began, a grin spreading.

Andy scrambled to his feet and flattened his hoodie against his chest. "Sorry. It's not what you - I didn't mean - My bad. Sorry, bro!"

Percy propped himself up on his hands and watched as Andy scurried over to his desk and pretended to organize and clean it. In his flurry to gather himself, he knocked a paper onto the floor and it settled next to Percy's hand. He picked it up and noticed it was the paper they had gotten back yesterday from Chiron.

A big red one-hundred and three was circled at the top and Percy gaped.

"You're really good at all this school stuff, right?" He held it out for him to take.

"Uh, yeah. I guess." It was obvious Andy was being modest.

Percy's own paper, which was buried somewhere under his stack of folders was not so great. The memory of Andy's first day when Percy got his test back from Chiron was still a little sore on his ego. He always had a problem with school, and the fact that it seemed to come so easily to Andy was something he didn't quite understand.

There had been a committee hearing about his grades late last year. He was called before a panel about his GPA and how if it dropped any lower, he could lose his scholarship. Tears had burned at the back of his eyes as they threatened to take everything away from him if he didn't improve. They looked at him over their glasses like he wasn't trying, that he was lazy or stupid. The problem was, he did try and it was never good enough. It seemed like the only thing he was good at was swimming. Was that all that mattered?

Percy got to his feet and brushed his hands off on his shorts. "You think you could…?" Percy started, then paused. What he was asking was huge. He would be demanding a lot from Andy, so he backtracked a bit. "I mean, you don't have to or anything because it's not a big deal. But…"

Andy turned to look at him, his eyes bright in the candle light.

"Think you could, kind of, show me how to… study? I could pay you for your time. I don't really have much in the way of money, but my mom taught me how to make her famous blue cupcakes and - "

The lights flickered back on and the TV roared to life once more, a lot louder than he remembered leaving it at. But the boys kept staring at each other, letting the announcer's voice fill the room. The sound of it seemed to bring them back into their own senses because they broke eye contact and looked in opposite directions. Andy cleared his throat again and ran his fingers through his hair. Percy shoved his hands into his pockets and spun around back toward his bed.

"It's nothing," Percy said. "Never mind. Forget I said it."

Andy twisted his paper into a curl on his palm and watched Percy. He could feel his eyes on him as he fell back on his bed and watched the TV, making an effort to turn on his side so he wouldn't have to see Andy. He probably thought Percy was a moron.

Now it was Percy's turn to start acting weird.

* * *

**A/N: I AM ROMANCE TROPE TRASH. Special thanks to Kat, my new official beta reader, and Mari, for pushing me to do my best. **


	9. Purrs and Grrs

Though Percy pretended like nothing had happened, Annabeth knew the night of the blackout had affected... _something_, and couldn't decide if it was ultimately good or bad or somewhere in the middle.

It was good because when she had fallen on top of him, he hadn't seemed to notice anything particular about her body, like the ace bandage wrapped around her chest or the curve of her hip. If his hands had been anywhere else but her shoulders…

Everything would be at risk if she did that again. Even though his arms were really great and his core was as rock hard as it looked, she couldn't have him getting closer in every sense of the word.

She didn't want to think about him finding out either, easily imagining the look of horror on his face that turned to anger, and him screaming in her face and kicking her out on the street - the thought made her taste bile in back of her throat.

But he just kept being his usual self, meaning if he knew any different, he wasn't letting on. Percy acted like a thing hadn't changed a bit - aside from the fact that he probably had the wimpiest roommate ever who was scared of lightning. He just smiled and joked as always.

It was quite brave, admitting he wasn't great at school to someone he barely knew. But the fact that he did so, and didn't even want to talk about, floored her. It was like he backpedaled at the last moment when he realized how he sounded like a stupid jock.

But she didn't think of him like that. She sympathized with him more than anything.

Annabeth caught him sometimes, forehead creased with frustration, leaning over his homework until he fell asleep at his desk. She would have said something, but even she could tell he was embarrassed.

She still hadn't yet agreed to tutor him and he didn't ask about it again either, not even when she started hanging out around the dorm more often.

It wasn't until they were sitting on their beds late one night and they got talking that everything changed.

"Are you going home this weekend?" Percy spoke up from below.

Annabeth scanned through an essay on her laptop, checking for errors. "No. Why?"

"Just asking. I thought you lived nearby."

"Well, not that close. I mean, it's not far but… I can't really go home."

Percy's bed creaked as he shifted. "How come?"

Annabeth had a few reasons, which were obvious. "I don't have a car." Technically true.

"You can borrow mine."

"I can't drive." Also true. The little detail about her hiding her new identity from her family was better left unsaid.

There was a clap of barefeet on the hardwood floor and then the top of Percy's hair and his large green eyes appeared from over the side of her mattress. "You serious?"

"Why would I be joking?"

"Driving is like… the ultimate freedom. Didn't you ever learn?"

"I took classes, but it just wasn't really needed where I grew up. You lived in the city, so didn't you take the subway?"

"Doesn't mean I didn't want to drive. Nothing beats rolling down all the windows and singing to 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'"

Annabeth chuckled and went back to her essay.

"You're missing out, dude," Percy said as he ducked and disappeared from view, the mattress squeaking as he sat down. "It's like - a right of passage."

Was he right? Had she missed out on something? Like going for a drive at night to clear her head, or taking a trip to the beach, or parking in the middle of a field to watch a meteor shower all by herself.

She had never been the kind that needed to go places, and if she did, she could rely on a friend or the bus. Was she really so dependent?

Since her father worked a lot, he needed their only car. It wasn't like they had tons of disposable income to spend on her own. And being the determined little kid as ever when she was eleven, she insisted they save the money for her college fund, a good one that no one was allowed to touch.

She didn't need a car to escape because she had books. But, she thought, nothing could beat the real thing - driving down the straight away on Route 50 with the roof folded down, the wind in her hair, the sun on her shoulders, and with Percy sitting in the passenger seat. His feet kicked up on the dash, his arm slung over her headrest, and his sunglasses as large as his smile.

She hadn't moved the laptop's cursor for so long, the screensaver popped up. It snapped her from the fantasy.

"Hey, Percy," she said, twisting to lean over her bed.

"Mm?" He looked up from stretching his hamstring.

"What kind of car do you have?"

"Mustang. Almost a hundred twenty thousand miles, four-point-six liter, vee eight, five-speed manual. I call her Blackjack." He added, as an afterthought, "She's my baby."

"Manual. That means stick shift, right?"

"Right. Makes her faster."

"Are you a good driver?"

"I haven't run anyone over, if that's what you're asking."

Annabeth laughed. "Good to know."

Percy switched to stretching his other leg, leaning his body over his thigh and grabbing his toes with his fingers.

Annabeth chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Think you could teach me?"

Percy lifted his head, the corners of his lips turned upward. "For real?"

"I bet we could find an empty parking lot or something."

"What makes you think I'm gonna let you stall my baby all day? Grinding her gears, making her whine."

"Because I can - uh - tutor you, if you still want me to. Fair trade."

Percy's look of surprise turned into a beaming smile. "This can only end in disaster. Alright, Andy, you'd better know what you're in for. Blackjack doesn't take kindly to newbies!"

* * *

"That's it?"

"That's it!" Percy said, beaming.

In the fading late-afternoon light, before the lights of the mostly-empty parking lot could turn on, the car looked tired. Like, the kind of tired a dog was after a long walk. Its jet-black paint was sparkling clean, and she could tell it had been loved dearly despite its age. Even when Percy opened the passenger's side door, the hinges squeaked like aching joints.

"Go ahead, get in," he said.

Annabeth opened the driver's side and got a whiff of aged leather, gunky socks, and chlorine.

"Sorry, she's been sitting out in the sun all day," he said. "You'll get used to it."

When she got in and settled inside, it was actually kind of nice. Everything was close at hand, making her feel like she was being embraced. Despite what Percy had said, the car seemed to like her.

"Here." Percy leaned over Annabeth's lap, making her flinch and retract her hands up toward the roof, and manually rolled down her window for her with the crank to let in the breeze. "Much better."

She didn't know if her heart was pounding because she was going to be behind the wheel of a two-ton killing machine or because Percy was so close. Either way, she tried not to blush.

"I'm not gonna make you drive just yet. We're just gonna get a feel for everything, okay?" he said.

She nodded and put her hands on the wheel on instinct.

He went through the dashboard meters and symbols and moved to the gear shift and how to use the clutch. She tried to keep everything in mind, but it was all just hypotheticals and words. Having no idea what it would actually be like in practice, her throat went dry.

Upshifting, downshifting - all of it made her head spin. Annabeth knew Percy could tell, maybe because her eyes glazed over, and he smiled at her.

"It's really not that hard. Once you get moving, you'll get it in no time. Do you want to try starting the car first?"

Annabeth put on a smile. "How hard can that be?"

"Well…"

Annabeth followed his instructions exactly and then the car jumped forward and went quiet.

"What happened?"

"You stalled her. Everyone does the first time. Try again."

Annabeth made sure it was in neutral and tried once more. The car hiccuped and went dead.

"See? Told you Blackjack isn't nice to new people."

"I thought we had a thing, Blackjack. I thought you would be my friend!" Annabeth shouted at the dashboard.

Percy laughed and Annabeth smiled.

"Okay, once more. Watch." Percy's hand fell on top of Annabeth's on the gearshift. Lightning as fierce as the storm spiked through his touch. "You gotta show her some love, see?" His hand shifted the car back into neutral with hers and inside the car it must have risen twenty degrees. Either that or she was coming down with a fever.

Annabeth let him tell her how to hit the clutch and then the car grumbled to life.

"Told you, you've got this," he said. "She's purring at you."

"Sounds more like a grumble. You sure this isn't a boy car?"

"Pretty sure. Okay, let's get it in gear and take a little spin around the lot."

The car groaned and something metal screeched below her feet when she tried to get it moving. Percy winced and covered his ears. "Stop! Stop!"

"What! What!" Annabeth shouted, raising her hands in surrender.

"Be gentle with her. You don't need to manhandle her like that. Buy her dinner first."

"Sorry."

Eventually, she got the car moving to the point that it wasn't protesting the whole time. It actually did started sounding like a purr, hinting that the engine could turn into a roar when it really got going. But a purr was just fine for Annabeth and her light foot. By then the parking lamps had turned on and the sky was dark. She drove two laps around the lot at a breakneck speed of three miles an hour before Percy seemed happy.

"See? You're getting the hang of it. Go ahead and park."

* * *

Percy had been a great teacher - calm, patient, understanding. She only hoped she was the same for him.

He was a difficult one to keep focused. When she sat him down at his desk to do a chapter reading for Chiron's homework, he could hardly keep still. He bounced his leg, making his slides squeak on the hardwood floor, and he shoveled gummy bears into his mouth like they were going to expire in five minutes. A two thousand word analysis of Achilles's life before Troy became a two hour ordeal.

"You need to find what works for you," she explained. "What helps me won't necessarily help you."

"I've tried everything. It's like the words just don't make sense, like the letters come off the page and turn into another language, and then I just get distracted by it, you know?"

She did know. "Do you have dyslexia?" she asked.

He looked at her through lowered brows and shrugged a shoulder.

"It's okay," she said. "I do too. It doesn't mean you're stupid."

She could hear him inhale and shift in his chair, like that was exactly what he needed to hear. "How do you make it look easy?"

"I don't try to make it look easy. I've worked really hard. Numbers and math make sense to me, but I've had to figure out how I can learn to focus when reading. Sometimes I need complete silence -"

Percy's leg stopped bouncing.

"- and food to help me stay in the moment."

The bag of gummy bears crinkled in his palm.

She took the bag from him ("Hey!") and laid them out one by one on the pages, putting each about five lines down from the next. Pretty soon, the page was a colorful mess of candy.

"If you want, we can read it together. Once we get to that next line, you can eat a bear. Food and color can help with learning association."

"Have you done this before?"

"All the time."

Percy leaned over the book and started reading, his brow knit into its usual crease as he went.

She had been studying him lately too, especially when he wasn't looking - and as creepy as that might sound, she was just trying to understand 'casual boy' posture: how he sprawled himself on his bean bag chair while watching TV, how he hefted his duffle on his shoulder when he came back from practice, how he stuffed his face with food. Most of the time he made her smile, and he didn't even know why - granted, she couldn't really explain it either. It was just him.

She was able to mimic Percy without thinking about it, like sitting with her legs apart, lifting her chin during conversation, smirking, and stuff like that.

It was fair to assume that if Annabeth from the summer had met the Andy of today, she wouldn't be able to see herself in him at all. It was almost like she was two different people. There was Annabeth, the girl she had always known, and then there was Andy, still trying to figure himself out. But maybe Percy was helping the Andy part of herself with that.

So watching him there, lips slightly moving as he read each word, she felt a warmth in her belly, better than a cup of hot chocolate.

Things were finally going her way. She could do this. That future was almost in her grasp -

Annabeth's phone vibrated and she glanced at it.

A text from Luke.

Her heart skipped a beat. She unlocked her phone and read:

_**Your dad told me you started at Herald Prep already.  
Figured we could meet up for coffee sometime.  
UCLA might be a little bit of a drive, so I'll come pick you up!  
Know any good places nearby?  
I've got grading to do this weekend, so how about sometime Thursday? :)**_

She held her forehead in her hands and stared at his words on the screen as her stomach sank like a brick in the ocean. She was screwed - no, more than screwed. Dead. She was _so_ dead.

Luke. Her first real crush and best friend since she was in diapers. The one who punched the other boys for yanking on her pigtails, who had always been there for her, even when he went off to college and had more important things to worry about. A Facebook message here, an email there, a Snapchat and a silly face - never truly gone.

But he couldn't see her like this. Not his Annabeth.

She couldn't tell him she was busy, because she didn't want to disappoint him. But she couldn't have him come to Bolt because he would know instantly that something was up. If he found out that she was posing as a boy illegally, he would march her off campus by the arm and scold her for being so reckless.

And if he went to Herald and found no one by the name of Annabeth Chase attending there, it would raise every red flag and he would still yell at her for lying.

This was so messed up, she could scream.

She had to find a way to live the lie but how she could possibly do it was making her feel like a balloon being carried up by the wind into the stratosphere, just waiting to pop.

"Fuck."

She hadn't realized she said it aloud because Percy looked up, a gummy bear pinched in-between his lips. He knocked it back and chewed on it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, swiveling around in her desk chair and staring at the ceiling, like she would find an answer there.

"Doesn't sound like nothing." He twisted to face her. "Bad news?"

"Kind of…"

"Anything I can do?"

"Nope."

The lines in Percy's forehead grew deeper. "I hope whatever it is, it works out."

Annabeth hoped so too.


	10. Breasties Before Testes

"Yikes," Percy said, after seeing her at her desk when he got back from practice. "Are you sick or something? You look terrible."

It was true. She did look terrible.

Not a wink of sleep that night. Not one. All she could think about was Luke. And Percy's snoring. But mostly Luke.

The thought of him kept her up, scenario after scenario churning in her mind like butter. Each time the scenario got a little worse, usually ending with Luke being red-faced in fury. She was literally making herself ill to the point where her stomach had folded into itself and made her not want to eat anything.

"No," she said. "I'm just thinking."

"You do that a lot."

"And you don't?"

"Only if it's gonna hurt."

"Don't strain yourself," she teased.

Percy flashed a smile and threw his bag down on the floor. "Come on. We have an emergency."

"What?" Annabeth sat bolt upright, alert.

He laughed. "Calm down. Protein bar emergency."

* * *

It was nice getting out of her room, sitting in the passenger's side of Percy's car as he drove them downtown. The change of scenery helped quell the pain in her gut. Subconsciously, she put her hand on her belly, like it would relieve some pressure.

The mid-afternoon sun was still high and hot and Annabeth felt better than she had all day. She let the wind from the rolled down window rustle her hair and cool her skin. Blackjack growled as she peeled around corners and skipped with speed when Percy changed gear.

It was kind of cathartic being in 'civilian clothes' as Percy called it. Annabeth finally had the chance to wear something other than her uniform or pajamas, so she chose a loose jean and t-shirt ensemble. Even Percy had a kind of liberated air about him too, wearing Ray Bans and a gray v-neck that showed off just the right amount of pec-cleavage and his totally hairless arms.

"Do you shave your whole body?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, it's a swimmer thing. Makes me faster."

"Hair causes that much drag?"

"Well… maybe not that much. A millisecond can be the difference between first and second. But I feel faster too, ya know? Half of the game is confidence."

Annabeth nodded in understanding.

"You just reminded me - razors." He pointed to the notepad sitting on the console in between them and Annabeth jotted it down and added a number two next to it - one for him, one for her. She had to make it look like she shaved a beard somehow.

What they called 'downtown' was more of a street. It had a few shops, some smaller houses, a pharmacy, and a grocery store. Percy parked in the half-full lot in front of the store and they walked in together.

Annabeth strolled beside Percy, who half-pushed, half-rode the cart down the aisles. They had to buy everything they wouldn't be able to get at the FEST. "Ooh, Animal Crackers," Percy said, standing on the undercarriage like a little kid. "Grab that. Frank wants those. Wait, grab two. Because _I_ want those."

Annabeth put them in the cart along with the rest of the things the guys had asked them to buy: Gatorade, fresh fruit, toothpaste, ramen, magazines, and coffee. It was like Percy was their own personal shopper, complete with knowing which flavor of everything each person liked. Most of Percy's personal items were blue.

When she asked him about it, he shrugged.

"My favorite color. Plus it's a tradition."

"By whom?"

"Whom? Really?" He raised a teasing eyebrow at her but let it go. "My mom."

Annabeth smiled. "She sounds amazing."

He didn't deny it. "She really is."

They got to the end of one aisle and were about to turn the corner but they both paused when they recognized the figure stooped in front of the display window at the bakery section.

"Yo, Pipes!" Percy called, arm raised.

Piper was wearing Herald Prep's green plaid skirt uniform and white blouse with the little peacock insignia on the breast. She looked great, like, model great, as if she was always posing for a picture, and she perked up when she heard her name. Immediately, a smile spread.

"Hey!" she called back and jogged toward them, her braids flopping on her shoulders as she went. She stopped a little aways from them and looped her thumbs into the straps of the small backpack on her shoulders. "What are you guys up to?"

"Supply run. You?" Percy said.

"Just got out of rehearsal and had a craving."

Her eyes fell on Annabeth and it was only then that Annabeth realized she was staring at Piper's skirt. "Are you feeling okay, Andy?"

Annabeth jumped, startled, and laughed nervously. "Yeah, yeah. Totally fine."

Piper's eyes poured right into Annabeth, like she was staring right into her soul. She really hoped that Piper didn't think she was checking her out. Well, she totally was, but not her body - her uniform. If only she could get her hands on a set, coffee with Luke would be a whole lot less stressful.

"You look a little pale," Piper said.

"Really? Sorry, I was miles away. Um, you said something about rehearsal?"

Percy explained to Annabeth, "Piper's an actress."

"Oh, really?" Annabeth could totally see it. "That's awesome. What kind?"

"Musical theater, mostly," she said.

"She's great at Halloween parties," Percy added. "Best costumes every year."

She waved the flattery away and smiled.

"What play are you doing now?" Annabeth asked as Percy wandered over to the five-dollar movie bin.

"_Wicked_," she said. "I'm Elphaba."

Annabeth was vaguely familiar. "That means you're pretty good, right?"

"I'd like to think so. Hopefully it's not preferential treatment."

"What for?"

Percy held up the DVD of a gladiator movie that came out a few years ago. He put on his best trailer announcer voice, deep and gravelly. "Tristan McLean! In! _KING OF SPARTA!_"

"Wait," Annabeth said, wide-eyed. "Tristan McLean is…"

"My dad, yeah," she admitted, growing rosy.

"That's so cool."

"One way of putting it."

Percy jumped in. "You should've seen her as Eponine last year in Less Miz - Less Mizerables. I cried."

Piper knocked him in the arm. "Perce, I've told you so many times - it's _Les Miserables_."

"Close though, right?" he said with a wry grin.

Piper decided to join them as they finished their grocery shopping and she and Annabeth talked the whole while.

For Hollywood offspring, Piper was down-to-earth and very easy-going. Either Annabeth had been judgemental of the whole Hollywood culture or Piper was an exception. She asked Annabeth - well, Andy - about his life, where he grew up, what he's studying. And she seemed interested about it too. They even exchanged phone numbers. Annabeth felt like she didn't have to hide much from her, besides the obvious.

Piper bought a giant chocolate chip cookie for them all to share and even helped load Blackjack with the groceries. Annabeth could see why she and Jason got together. They were a good match.

Percy offered to drive Piper back to campus and she accepted since it was on the way. The school was a sprawling park filled with modern buildings with flat white panel walls and square architecture.

"I promise to give you a tour sometime. I think you'd like it," Piper said to Annabeth from outside the car. She leaned down and peeked into the window to thank Percy and waved to them both before she entered the brass gates. Then Percy pulled out and took the main road back to Bolt.

Annabeth's mind drifted as she watched the sun flicker in and out between the breaks in the tree branches that lined the way. Something plopped into her lap that made her start: a box of Tums and Pepto-Bismol tabs.

She glanced at Percy, who was as casual as ever. "Did you buy these for me?"

"I saw you clenching your stomach earlier," he said, keeping his eyes ahead. "Figured you needed some."

Even though she had a lot to worry about, she had a reason to smile then.

* * *

Annabeth and Percy sat together at their desks on Tuesday night doing homework and all the while she couldn't concentrate. Her thoughts were threatening to take control of her tongue and make her word-vomit all over the room. She really needed Piper's help, but so many things were holding her back.

Would Piper rat her out? Would Piper think she was a pervert? Would she hit her?

But she needed someone to turn to for advice, someone who was unbiased and could affirm her decision.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"So, I have this friend," she said, putting down her pen. Then added quickly, "Who's a girl."

"You mean a girlfriend?" Percy asked, looking up.

"No. Just a friend. More like a sister, really."

Percy nodded and chewed on his gummy bear. "Okay, go on."

"Well, she's kind of… shy. She's a bit conscientious about how she looks and she hasn't made a lot of friends who are girls either. She's worried that they'll make fun of her or treat her different because of her appearance. There's this one person she's met who seems really nice, but she doesn't want to ruin the chance of a friendship."

Percy scrunched his eyebrows. "What, does she have three eyeballs or something?"

Annabeth couldn't help but laugh. "No, not like that. It's that I think she's afraid of what others might think of her."

"If that other girl really is as nice as you say, then I don't see why it'd be such a big deal."

"But it's not that simple."

"Judging a person based on how they look shouldn't be all that complex… You're either an asshole or not."

Annabeth smiled, finding it all very comforting hypothetically but it was different when the real thing was staring her in the face.

Percy continued when Annabeth didn't say anything. "People can be good but it's all a matter of giving them the chance first. If your friend thinks that everyone is one way, then she's not going to be able to find the ones who aren't."

"So you're saying she should just go for it?"

"Why not?" Percy shrugged. "I doubt there's anything worse than not knowing."

* * *

This was the most nerve-wracking thing Annabeth had ever done in her life. And yes, there had been a lot of nerve-wracking moments so far. But this - _this_ ranked way, way up there.

Piper's contact was just a tap away. All Annabeth had to do was hit it and she'd be on her way to revealing a little bit of the truth.

With Percy at practice, she had to jump at the opportunity to do it without him getting suspicious about his best friend's girlfriend spending time with a guy who was definitely not Jason.

Her thumb was lead when she pressed the button and the phone was a brick as she held it up to her ear.

Piper answered. "Hey, Andy!"

"Hey. Um, if you're not busy, I think I'd like to take that tour now."

"So that's pretty much it," Piper said as they walked out of the cafe together. She and Annabeth each bought a drink to quench their thirst after Piper practically showed off every nook and cranny of the campus. "So? What do you think? Some wicked architecture, right?"

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "It's pretty amazing. The atrium was particularly beautiful. Thanks for showing me."

"No problem. Let's sit somewhere! My feet are going to fall off."

They found an ivy-covered bench on the outskirts of the quad that smelled like jasmine. It was quiet and not crowded at all, only for the occasional group of girls walking, chatting and giggling together. Annabeth knew she stood out like a grass stain on white jeans. If her nametag hadn't given her away, the fact that she was the only boy on campus drew a lot of stares and excited whispers behind hands. Piper didn't seem bothered by any of it though, so neither did Annabeth.

While they sat, Piper sipped her drink and swung her feet back and forth in the air. Annabeth wondered what she could look like in that uniform. She hadn't ever been one to wear skirts, even when her father tried to dress her when she was little. But now that she couldn't, she felt… _trapped_.

"Piper, I…" Annabeth started, but paused when Piper's eyes captured hers. Suddenly all of her courage had disappeared. It just up and left like it had somewhere better to be.

But she had to say something.

"Have you ever wanted something so bad that you would do just about anything to get it?"

"I guess," Piper shrugged. "Why?"

"I just feel like I can see the lighthouse but I'm drowning, you know?"

Piper laughed. "No, not really."

"What I'm trying to say is…" She trailed off and looked at the clouds above, maybe hoping they'd spell it out for her. "I'm not sure if anyone could begin to understand why I did this… I don't even know what I'm trying to say anymore."

"Are you scared about being an architect?"

"It's not that at all…" She looked at Piper again and found it hard to even do so.

Piper bent her neck low to see Annabeth's face. "You can tell me."

The words stumbled out, like ripping off a Band-Aid:

"_Ineedtoborrowyouruniformforaday._"

"What?" Piper laughed.

Annabeth took a breath and put her tea down near her side. Her heart was racing, her throat suddenly parched even though she wasn't thirsty.

"I'm sorry," she groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. It was becoming a nervous habit. "I don't think I can do this."

"What's wrong?"

Piper's voice was calming and it helped a little. Annabeth still had time to back out, but she couldn't. Not when she had made it this far.

"I've just been - _ugh_ - I wasn't totally honest with you before."

Piper's features turned guarded. She scanned Annabeth with those eyes - it was like Annabeth was standing naked in front of her with everything to hide.

Annabeth faced her and took a deep breath. "I'm not… who you think I am."

Piper didn't say anything, simply waited.

"I'm really a girl," Annabeth said.

"Are you transgender or…?" It wasn't accusatory, simply curious.

"No. No. I'm just a liar. My name is Annabeth. I've been pretending to be a boy ever since I was accepted to Bolt about a month ago."

Piper's eyes went round as Annabeth explained how Bolt was the best opportunity for her, how she had forged her documents and enrolled into school, and that no one else knew any of this except for her and Thalia, Jason's sister.

It was like secret was poison and it was being sucked from her veins, making her feel a thousand times better.

"- and then I got a text from my old friend Luke about wanting to get coffee tomorrow and if he sees me like this, then it'll be all over and I can't let that happen. Not now. Not when I've met so many people and -"

Piper's hand lashed out and clutched onto Annabeth's like the jaws of life.

"You're asking me to help you?" Her voice was teeming with excitement. The smile on her face was brighter than the sun in the sky.

"If you don't mind, I would need to wear your uniform - just for a day. I promise I'll wash it for you when it's all done -"

Piper leapt to her feet, still holding onto Annabeth's hands, and bounced up and down. "Oh wow! I love this! It's like Shakespeare!"

Annabeth looked around, cautious that anyone might be watching. If they were, maybe they thought that Annabeth had proposed or something.

Piper stopped skipping for a moment to say, "I'm honored! Truly!"

Annabeth didn't feel like she was drowning anymore, and she smiled the biggest yet. "Thank you."

Piper sat back down on the bench, closer to Annabeth than ever, and measured her up with her eyes. "I think you'll be my size, no problem. You're taller than me, but that's okay. We'll make it work."

"I think my hair is the only big change," Annabeth said. "I used to have it long -"

Piper waved her hand. "I have so many wigs, we'll find just the right one. We'll get you dressed for the ball in no time."


	11. Pastries and Panic

"You. Look. Fantastic," Piper said, holding two thumbs up and grinning.

"Really?" Annabeth asked, as she twisted and turned to get a look at herself in the full-length mirror in Piper's room. She was wearing Piper's uniform - the plaid green skirt falling an inch above her knee, the blouse knotted and tucked in the back to better hug her figure, and Piper's backpack slung over her shoulders - complete with knee-high socks and Mary Janes borrowed from the girl across the hall. She looked like a rightful Herald student.

In about an hour, Luke would take her to Hestia's Hearth, the downtown coffee shop that Piper had recommended. He would ask her about her life and school and Annabeth would lie again. But was it really all that different? School was school. She just had to replace some pronouns.

"Really," Piper assured. "Seriously, you're Annabeth on the outside now too. No one's even going to notice."

"I haven't worn a bra in weeks. This feels weird." Annabeth cupped her breasts and shifted them around. It was a relief to be able to breathe properly again, she had to admit.

"Yeah, don't do that," Piper laughed and grabbed Annabeth's hands and put them down at her sides. "Alright - the wig."

Piper said she had spent all night restyling it for her and it showed. It was expensive, and definitely not the kind that she could get at a Halloween store. It was blond, nearly the same color as Annabeth's natural hair, with bangs swept to the side. The curls draped loose halfway down the stand that the foam head was secured to. Piper helped Annabeth put it on and set the curls to hang over her shoulders. She stepped back and Annabeth got a look at herself in the mirror again. A girl stared back.

Her stomach was in knots; she hoped this would work. She was Annabeth who was Andy who was dressing up as Annabeth, two degrees removed from her identity.

For a startling moment, she didn't know which was the real her - Andy or Annabeth.

"Here," Piper said, coming over with a headband. "This will make it look more natural." Annabeth helped press it down and Piper gave her a smile.

"Do I look okay?"

"Better than okay. It's all about how you feel. So how _do_ you feel?"

Annabeth looked herself over, toying with her bottom lip. "I don't know."

Piper came up behind Annabeth, looking at the both of them in the mirror. She grasped her shoulders and squeezed. "Don't worry. You'll do great. I know you will."

* * *

Piper waited with her just inside the gate while Annabeth watched the street for Luke's car. She had to remind Annabeth not to play with her hair too much because it wouldn't look natural if she touched it often.

"It's getting hot already. And itchy." Annabeth stuck her fingers up under the wig and scratched her scalp. "How do you do it?"

"We're girls. We endure the pain. For real, stop touching it!"

Annabeth and Piper laughed and Piper swooped the wig's bangs out of her eyes.

"So, I have to ask," Piper said, while she worked. "What's it like rooming with all guys?"

"It's normal, not much different than you'd think."

"Have you seen much…?" She wagged her hips back and forth, whistling while she did.

"Oh my God," Annabeth groaned, but laughed anyway. Her cheeks went hot, like she'd been slapped.

Piper's eyes went wide. "So you _have_ seen things."

"No, it's fine, really. I mean, it's not like it's a big deal for them. We're all guys after all. But… it was a shock for me at first."

"AT FIRST? You mean there was more than one time?"

"Well… it's more like they're allergic to shirts."

"Percy. That sounds like Percy."

"He is my roommate. What did you expect?"

"Wait - did you see his_ woo-hoo_?"

Annabeth tried to stop the blush but it was too late.

Piper shook a finger at her. "You did!"

"Don't. It was probably more embarrassing for me than it was for him."

"Oh my God. That's too good. He doesn't know about you, right? Being a girl and all?"

"No. He doesn't even know I'm meeting Luke today. He's at practice all afternoon, so I'll be home before him."

"Are you ever going to tell him?"

"No way. Never."

A golden yellow Corvette came from around the bend. The high-pitched whine of the engine grew louder as it got closer. Luke was here.

"Okay, this is it," Annabeth said, straightening her shoulders. She took a deep breath and Piper held her hands.

"You've got this. If you need anything, I'm a text away."

"Thanks, Piper."

The Corvette stopped in front of Herald Academy's gate and Luke stepped out. He smiled as he rested his forearm against the roof and waved to her. "Annie!"

"Ooh, he's cute," Piper said under her breath. "You know, objectively speaking."

Annabeth tried to stay cool.

He closed the door shut and together Annabeth and Piper met him halfway. Without even missing a beat, Luke grabbed her in a tight embrace and squeezed his body into hers. For half a moment, Annabeth panicked that he was going to pull the wig off, but he stopped just short of it.

"It's so good to see you!" he said, his voice close to her ear. His back was solid underneath his button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and he smelled like sandalwood. When he pulled away, he held her at arm's length and got a good look at her.

He hadn't changed a bit. He was still her Luke - same crooked smile, same wind-swept yellow hair, same scar running down his face after a dog bite when he was five. His blue eyes were as bright as she remembered too.

"Look at you!" he said. "You haven't changed a bit."

Annabeth blushed and patted the top of her head. "I could say the same."

"And who's this?" He turned to Piper who introduced herself and shook his hand.

"I'm Annabeth's roommate," she explained.

"I hope she hasn't kept you up at night with her constant reading."

"Oh no, it's no trouble at all. She's wonderful." Piper smiled at Annabeth who reminded herself to pick something up for Piper at the coffee shop by way of thanks.

"Would you like to join us? Three's a party."

"Please, I insist. Don't worry about me. You two catch up."

"I'll be back soon," Annabeth said.

As they got into the car and Luke drove them away, Annabeth knew the hard part was over and convinced herself that she could definitely, definitely do this.

* * *

"What!" Percy gaped, staring at the CLOSED FOR CLEANING sign on the door leading to the pool.

"Yeah, dude, didn't you get the email?" one of his teammates said. "No practice for the whole weekend either."

Percy screwed up his face, his entire world shattering around him. "Well… what am I supposed to do now?"

The guy said, like it was the simplest answer in the world, "Enjoy it?"

* * *

"Why're you home so early?" Jason asked. He had spotted Percy through his open door, a towel being the only thing wrapped around his naked waist. Practice must have just gotten out and Jason was ready to shower.

"I'm stranded. Lost. Abandoned," Percy said, despondently. His hair shadowed his eyes.

"Whoa. Dramatic much?"

"The pool's closed," he explained.

"Then come out with us. Me, Nico, Leo, and Frank are going into town for a bit."

"What for?"

"Who knows. Maybe get some food, grab a drink. You could use a little fresh air."

"What about Andy?"

"I think he's out, saw him leave a few hours ago. Come on, just like old times."

Percy perked up, finding it to be a better option than sitting in his room all day with nothing but himself.

"Alright," he said. "Gimme ten minutes."

* * *

Annabeth waited while Luke ordered for them, sitting at a small table near the window of Hestia's Hearth. For a Thursday afternoon, it wasn't very crowded. There was a couple in the corner, an older woman scrolling on a tablet, and the lone barista in charge of the small line of customers at the counter while an espresso machine whistled in the back. The shop smelled like ground coffee, cinnamon muffins, and aged wood. It had a cute rustic feel, one that Annabeth could see herself spending nights in during finals week, curled up one one of the large leather chairs with her laptop near the conveniently useless fireplace for Southern California weather.

The older woman sitting a few tables away had stopped working on her iPad and watched Annabeth over her glasses. Her lips were pressed thin and white as they traced down Annabeth's legs.

Annabeth, with a lurch, realized she had been sitting like a boy with her legs spread wide - crotch open for the world to see. It had been the norm for so long, the fact that she was wearing a skirt had been completely forgotten.

She snapped her knees together so fast, her thighs clapped. The woman still looked miffed, like Annabeth had disrespected her entire gender by being so _unladylike_.

"I like what you've done with your hair," Luke said, coming back with the steaming mugs - his a macchiato, hers a latte. He set them down on the table and sat across from her.

"Oh, really?" Annabeth asked, playing with one of the curls.

"Yeah, you never wore it down before. It's nice."

"Piper helped me with it."

"You turning into a girly-girl on me?"

Annabeth laughed breathily and assured him, "No. So how's your Masters coming?"

"It's coming," he said, a faraway smile on his face. "Being a teaching assistant helps too. Pretty sure I'm the one being taught by the co-eds half the time. And - uh - Dad wants me to take over the company when I'm graduated."

Annabeth leaned forward, stunned. "Really? That's fantastic!"

"Yeah, it's a great opportunity for me." There was a touch of sadness in his voice.

When they were younger, Luke didn't always have the best relationship with his father. He was always away on business, traveling the world for high-profile meetings and events - he barely came home enough to see his family. Luke used to hate him for it. Watching Luke now, Annabeth wondered if some of that still carried over into his adult life.

"Could you picture it though?" he asked. "Me? Running a Fortune 500? Never in a million years could I see myself as CEO of a delivery service." He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms, like he was trying to wake from a dream.

"I know you can do it. Your dad picked you for a reason. Are you not happy?"

"I'm not sure. I just… when I was little I wanted to be a cop or a teacher, and now I'm just following in my dad's footsteps. I feel like I'm doing what I'm told, not what I want."

Annabeth nodded, understanding. "So what are you going to do next?"

"What choice do I have?" He smiled again, his scar working against his cheek. "I know I shouldn't take this for granted. People my age are having problems even finding a job, and I'm just handed one."

"Can't you explain to your dad?"

"You know him. He won't hear it. This is the family company. If I don't take it, I'll be worse than dead."

"That's not true."

Luke sighed. Clearly he didn't believe her.

She decided to shift the topic a little. "Does this mean you're leaving the country?"

"In a few months, yeah. I'll be moving to Greece. That's kind of why I wanted to see you, in case it was the last time."

Annabeth's smile had turned into a frown. She watched him with knit eyebrows. "But that doesn't mean we'll never see each other again. It's not like you're dropping off the face of the earth."

Luke laughed. "You're right, I know. I'm sorry I'm being such a bummer. I don't mean to make this all about me either. That's why I brought something for you."

From where he pulled it out of, Annabeth didn't know. Hidden somewhere under the table, he produced a flat red box, tied off with a gold ribbon.

"What is this?" she asked, heat on her face, as she slowly took it.

"It's a gift," he said, his smile illuminating. "Open it."

She pulled the ribbon off and opened the lid. Inside was a leather-bound journal, weathered and smooth, the pages edge in gold. On the cover was her name, engraved in ink. Tears burned at the back of her eyes.

"Oh Luke," she said, finding it hard to express her gratitude.

"I remember when we were little, you used to stack up tons of loose-leafs with your designs. Figured it was time you got a proper sketchbook, so I had it specially made."

"It's gorgeous," she said, tracing every inch of it with her fingers. "You didn't have to."

He only smiled wider.

"You know I'm never going to use it, right? I can't waste an inch."

"Then you're going to have to show me the finished buildings in person. Promise?"

Annabeth knew she was glowing so she lowered her head and let the blush consume her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. But I'm hungry. You hungry?"

"I could eat," Annabeth said, barely able to look him in the eye.

"You want a muffin? Scone? Let's split something."

"Surprise me."

"Alright, be back in a second."

Luke lifted from his seat and went to the front counter and inspected the glass case for the best looking treat. Annabeth cradled the journal to her chest, clutching it there like a priceless treasure, and beamed. For him to even think about doing something like that for her was flattery enough.

She picked her mug up from the table, took a sip of her lukewarm latte, and glanced out the window. A group of boys were walking down the sidewalk towards her, joking and laughing, and it didn't register at first until - _PERCY_.

Annabeth nearly spit her latte all over the window.

She lurched and cupped her hand over her mouth and forced herself to swallow. She coughed and choked as it went down and struggled to breathe. The old woman was staring at her again, clearly thinking she was having conniptions.

Percy and Jason and the others were consumed in their own conversations, unknowing that Annabeth was inside the coffee shop having a full-blown heart attack.

None of them looked inside as they walked past and she mentally repeated: _Please don't come in. Please don't come in. For the love of God, please don't come in._

The bell above the coffee shop door chimed and Annabeth whipped around. Jason led the way, followed by Frank, Leo, and Nico, and Percy, who brought up the rear to hold a door open for a man leaving.

What was he doing here? He was supposed to be at practice! She cursed the heavens, the hells, and everything in between for her bad luck. In a moment of brilliant panic, Annabeth raked her fingers through the bangs of her wig and covered what she could of her face.

Percy dawdled a bit, looking around the shop before joining the rest - plus Luke - at the counter.

Annabeth fumbled with Piper's backpack and - with shaking fingers - unzipped it and brought out her cellphone.

_911_, she typed out feverishly._ CODE RED PERCY IS HERE_

She hit send and slammed her phone onto the table. The woman watched her all the while, like it was a free show. Annabeth hid behind her hand, trying her best to become one with the chair.

_What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What if they see me? What if they recognize me? What if they try to talk to me? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?_

A cell phone rang from somewhere in front and Jason answered. "Hey, Piper. What's up? … Nothing much. Just stopped by to get some caffeine…" Jason glanced at Percy. "Yeah, he's here, why?"

She could see them through her hair, and Percy was people-watching with a small smile on his face and his hands in his pockets. He rocked back and forth from heel to toe as she waited for his turn.

Annabeth hadn't even noticed that Luke had come back with a cinnamon roll on a plate.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when he said, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah!" she said, her voice way too high. "I'm fine! I just remembered I have some homework to do and I need to go home. Now. Right now. Immediately."

"Alright, I'll get us a box -"

"No! We'll eat it on the way, let's just -"

"Can I go to the bathroom first?"

"Luke -"

"I'll just be a minute."

He set down his things and smiled at her. "I'm really glad we got to do this."

"Yeah, me too," she said, her heartbeat in her throat.

Luke waved through the tables and disappeared down a back hallway.

Frantically, Annabeth packed up her phone and tried stuffing the journal into the backpack, but her fingers - damn, her fingers - slipped and the journal fell onto the floor. She was just about ready to pick it up when a hand intercepted.

Her stomach fell somewhere near her ankles when she recognized those hairless forearms. Percy, holding a to-go cup of coffee, read the cover.

"'Annabeth.' Is this yours?" he asked, handing it to her.

Her mouth worked, like a fish out of water. "Uh…" was all she managed to say from behind the curtain of hair.

"Here you go," he said, waving it a bit because he'd been holding onto it for too long.

Her heart was drumming some kind of dubstep beat in her head. Tentatively, she clenched the journal in her shaking fingers, took it from him, and pressed it up against her chest, secure once more.

"Percy," Jason called, waving to him from a table near the door, where Leo was having a very expressive side-conversation with Frank that needed the use of a lot of elbow room.

Annabeth gulped, and the redness from her cheeks had consumed her neck like a pair of hands on her throat. Percy must have taken her lack of thanks for shyness.

"Have a good one," he said, and he walked away without another word to join his friends.

Seconds too late, Luke came back.

"Ready?" he asked.

Annabeth was already on her feet and shuffled toward the door at high speed. She had to pass Percy and the others on her way out though and she refused to look at any of them, keeping her head low.

Once she pushed out the door, she turned and sprinted down the sidewalk toward Luke's parked car. She heard Luke laugh as he ran to keep pace. "Annabeth! What's the rush?"

No one was ever, _ever_ going to catch her.

* * *

**A/N: As some of you have noticed in reviews and PMs (and Tumblr!), this story is half-inspired by _She's the Man_ and the Korean drama _To the Beautiful You_! I can't keep anything from you guys. You're too clever! Thanks for reading!**


	12. Lies and Consequence

**A/N: He he he... Sorry I disappeared on you guys there for a bit. If you follow my Tumblr, you'll know I had a terrible week, so I'm really sorry! I'm making it up to you though! Enjoy!**

* * *

Annabeth stopped inches away from Luke's car and pressed herself up against the sun-baked door. The wig blocked out the light that tried to sneak in through her closed eyes and the darkness calmed her a bit. She caught her breath, panting as she realized what could have just happened.

That was close. Too close. If Percy had so much as got a good a glance at her face, it would have been Game Over - Fatality. Her heart refused to stop pounding in her throat, especially since she had sprinted half a mile back to the parking lot. She swallowed thickly and turned when she heard Luke.

"Hey!" He was jogging up after her, a little winded and concern etched in his forehead. "I know you love your homework and all but would it kill you to slow down?"

"I'm sorry… I just had to get out of there."

Luke relaxed to a walk and came to her. She could smell his spicy deodorant when he jutted his thumb over his shoulder. "We forgot your cinnamon roll back there."

"That's okay. I'm not hungry anymore."

"My Annie? Not hungry? You're someone else entirely," he grinned, nudging her with his elbow.

_His Annie._ She knew he was joking, but it still made her blush. The fact that he even paid attention to her, especially when he had so many girls his own age to care about, made her feel special. A spark of hope reignited in her belly.

"Did you know those guys or something? Were they giving you a hard time?"

Annabeth took a moment to figure out if it was safer to lie or tell the truth. But Luke broke the silence.

"An ex?"

"No," she said, relaxing her shoulders a bit. "It's nothing."

Luke didn't look convinced, like she was trying to avoid the situation, which she totally was. She decided it was better for him to believe exactly what he wanted to. He watched her carefully then circled around the front of his car.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get you home."

Annabeth nodded and took an extra moment to gather herself. With a deep breath, she sighed in the fresh air and squared off her shoulders. She was stronger than this. She was going to be okay.

Luke drove them down the street, past the coffee shop where she just barely spotted Percy and the others still inside. As if she was on a rollercoaster, her heart leapt for a moment.

Luke flipped on the radio while Annabeth stared at her knees and pulled at the hem of her skirt. She was in the getaway car and Luke was the unknowing accomplice. To be perfectly honest with herself, it was a little bit of a rush, like she had pulled off a heist.

Luke's car smelled nice, like new, as if it had rolled right out right out of the dealership. It was clean too - tons cleaner than Percy's. It helped that it probably had less than two thousand miles on it.

"Yeah," he explained when she noted, driving with one hand on the wheel and the other out the window. "Dad bought it for me, like he's trying to buy something else with it. My respect or whatever."

Annabeth smiled weakly. Though Luke liked to complain about his father being away all the time, he didn't mind taking advantage of the benefits.

"Helps with the girls too," he added with a wink. "One in particular."

Annabeth's stomach plunged into an ice bucket. _Girlfriend_. "Oh." Annabeth hid her disappointment by rummaging in her borrowed backpack and pulling out her phone.

Luke mistook that as approval. "You'd like her. I met her in my econ class."

Annabeth strained to simper and texted Piper that she was on the way. She didn't trust herself to say anything.

He glanced at her sideways. "So what about you? Any boys you got your eye on?"

Annabeth pursed her lips, and pushed them into a pout.

Luke chuckled, that belly laugh that she had grown to like so much. "So that's a yes?"

Annabeth squinted at him, playing along even though it hurt a lot more than she cared to admit. She dropped her phone into her lap and punched him in the arm.

"Ow," he half-laughed, half-whined.

"That's for being a jerk."

"Fair enough."

* * *

"Say hi to your dad for me," Luke said, when they hugged goodbye one final time as they stood in front of the gates of Herald.

The inside of his elbow was tugging on Annabeth's wig again, but he let go before it would fall. He held her at arm's length and squeezed her shoulders.

"I will," she assured, patting her headband back into place.

He smiled at her, warm and lovingly. It was only now she realized it was because he saw her more like a younger sister.

_Of course he did._

"Go on. Don't let me keep you from your homework," he said, dropping his hands down to his sides.

"Have fun in Greece."

He grinned. "I'll take a picture of the Parthenon for you."

The last she saw of him were the flaring red tail lights of his Corvette growling into the distance.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Piper asked once they had made it back to her room.

Annabeth pulled the wig from her head and scratched her fingers into her short hair. It had been as itchy as the Christmas sweater her grandmother used to make her wear every year.

Piper plopped down on the side of her bed at attention, eyes eager. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt that hung off one shoulder and pajama pants. What looked like a script was lying beside her. She had probably been memorizing her lines while Annabeth was out.

"It was -" Annabeth took a beat before saying, "fine."

"What happened with Percy?"

"He didn't recognized me."

Piper put a hand to her chest and sighed. "Thank God. I screamed so loud, Reyna - my RA - came running. I thought you said he was at swimming!"

"I thought he was too. Something must have happened."

"No kidding."

Annabeth smiled. "If it wasn't for your phone call, I probably wouldn't be here talking to you right now."

"And Luke didn't suspect a thing?"

"No. I'm clear on that end."

Annabeth ran her hand through her hair again, welcoming the coolness of the breeze from the open window against the back of her neck. She took a seat at Piper's desk and laid the wig on top of it.

"So is he your boyfriend or something?" Piper asked.

"Who, Luke? No - no…"

"From the way you talked about him, I just -"

"Yeah, no. It's not like that." _At least not for him._

Her crush was only that, a crush - more like a crushing weight. She felt like a silly eleven year old girl again, and that made her red-faced with shame. Why she ever thought she had a chance, she'd never know.

"He dated my friend Thalia a while back," Annabeth continued. "But then the Great Breakup of 2012 hit and… well, let's just say I felt like the only child in the middle of a tug-o-war between divorced parents. All three of us used to be friends when I was in middle school. He's more like family now, I guess."

Piper watched her, chewing on the inside of her cheek with thought.

"Is it hard?" she asked.

"What?"

"Being… doing all of this, rather? Like, for me, I can come home every night and switch off. For you though… Don't you get tired? "

"Exhausted really. You help though."

Piper smiled. She got up and went to her desk and picked up the wig. "This looked good on you. You keep it."

"No, I couldn't possibly -"

"I'm serious. I'm no good as a blonde. Besides, you could use it more than I do."

"Thanks, Piper."

"Anytime. So! Since you're back so early, want to grab dinner or something?"

"I really should get going," Annabeth said as she stood and started unzipping the skirt. "But how about next week?"

"Maybe Jason and Percy can come along. Double date?"

Annabeth gave her a look.

"Well, fine then just a date plus two bros. Bro-in' out. Bromance. Broship."

Annabeth couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Annabeth packed Piper's uniform into her duffle, standing in front of the mirror once again in her usual Bolt uniform. Andy Chase was back.

"Seriously," Piper said. "I can wash my own clothes. I'm not totally useless."

"I know you're not, but it's the least I could do, especially after you saved my butt. Besides I forgot to get you something at Hestia's. This my way of thanks."

Piper smiled and hugged her. "You have a safe walk home, alright?"

"Don't worry. I'm a guy now."

"Still," Piper said. "Text me when you're there."

_Text_… Annabeth pulled away. She put her hands to her pockets, then rummaged through her bag.

"Have you seen my phone?" she asked.

Piper looked around. "No. Did you have it when you came in?"

Annabeth went wide-eyed with realization. "Shit."

* * *

Luke drove down the road, the radio playing softly as he cruised up to a stop light. Idling, he waited for the green and glanced down when he noticed a glint of metal. On the floor of the passenger's side was Annabeth's phone.

He leaned over and picked it up. She had been so upset earlier for some reason, she must have dropped it and didn't notice.

The light turned and Luke took the car right instead of left toward the highway. He had to give Annabeth her phone back.

Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up to the drive, parked, and hurried out. She was probably worried that she had lost it.

Luke buzzed the intercom button at the gate. A woman's voice answered.

"Yes?"

"I'm here to see Annabeth Chase. I have her phone."

There was a pause on the intercom. "I'm sorry. Who are you asking for?"

"Annabeth Chase. She's a senior."

The sound of paper shuffling and the woman sighing was all he heard on the other side. "I'm sorry, sir. But I have no one here by that name."

"Can you check again?"

"Sir..."

"She just walked in! She's blonde, about five-nine, wearing a headband."

"I think you must be confused."

Luke furrowed his brow. Maybe Annabeth was attending under another name - her mother's maiden name? But that would be ridiculous. That woman had left only a month after Annabeth was born.

"Am I going to have to call security?" the woman on the intercom said.

"No, thank you," he said, curtly.

He stepped away from the intercom and looked at Annabeth's phone. Her cityscape lock screen was very tempting to hack into. He could call her contacts, maybe find out where she was. He swiped the screen and found the keypad. He tried a series of easy codes like four ones, four zeroes, and one-two-three-four - no luck. Of course, Annabeth was too clever for something like that.

He was about to try again when he saw the front door to the main dorm open. Two people were deep in conversation.

"He'll probably mail it to you. It's too late to ask him for it now."

"I can't believe I lost it…"

One of them he recognized was Piper, who had stopped mid-step and grabbed the hand of the one standing next to her, that one being… He did a double-take.

"Annie?" he asked, though he couldn't believe it.

Annabeth was frozen on the other side of the gate, shock strewn across her face. Why she was wearing the uniform of the all-boys academy, why she had cut her hair, why she couldn't be found in the school records - it made heat burn on the back of his neck.

* * *

Luke wasn't saying anything, and that freaked Annabeth out. He had been quiet the whole way as they walked together back to Bolt, checked into the campus, and even as he stood in the middle of Annabeth's room. His eyes scanned everything - over her bed, to Percy's desk, into the shared bathroom. She could feel the air around them, tense and heavy, and Annabeth struggled to find words of her own.

"Please, say something," she whimpered.

More silence. He took a long time, standing a still as a statue. She could practically see his thoughts turning over and over in his head, folding in on themselves as he tried to comprehend just what he was seeing. There was bewilderment there and confusion, but mostly something else that hurt.

"What do you want me to say?" He glared at her over his shoulder, his hands balled into fists as his sides. "How could you do something like this?"

"I'm just - I wanted to -"

"Wanted to what? Lie?"

"I'm not lying, I'm just… hiding the truth."

Luke spun to face her. "Do you have any idea how unbelievably stupid this is? This isn't a game, Annabeth. This is dangerous."

"Don't you trust me?"

"I do, but that's my problem! I trusted you to not lie to me."

Annabeth went red and looked away. "Maybe that's exactly why I hid it from you because I knew you'd act like this!"

Luke stood straighter. "Is that what you think of me?"

"Am I wrong?"

He shook his head, like he was trying to clear it and walked to her desk. He picked up one of her books and flipped through a few pages. He dropped it back down, letting it smack flat on the table, and sighed.

"Why?" he pleaded. "What are you trying to prove?"

"Everything! I want to prove to myself that I can do this, that I can be the best!"

Luke rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "And you couldn't do it as yourself?"

"Herald just isn't as focused! Their program isn't what I needed. Bolt's program is."

"So you're going to keep this up forever?"

Annabeth didn't know. All she did know was that she wanted to achieve her dream, as Andy or Annabeth. "How many famous architects can you name that are women?"

"Annabeth…"

"They aren't taken as seriously. Niemeyer, Graves, Wright, Tange, Soleri, Burnham… All men!"

"You sound insane."

It was Annabeth's turn to get angry. "You don't think I can do it?"

"No! I think you can, and that's what makes me so angry!"

"Then let me stay!"

"What do you think would happen to you if these guys found out you're a girl? Do you think they'd laugh and let it go?"

"They're not like that!"

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm also careful. I'm safe."

"People are cruel and single-minded and…" Luke softened a touch. "You lied on your transcripts. You lied on your legal documents. You could go to _jail_, Annabeth. This is serious."

Tears burned on the back of her eyes, but she blinked and refused to let them fall. She knew what was coming next.

"I'm taking you home," he said, with finality.

"Please, Luke -"

"Before this gets out of control, you're leaving. Tonight."


	13. Sweats and Sweets

Annabeth chased after Luke as he stomped down the empty hallway, and she pulled on the sleeve of his shirt in a vain attempt to make him stop.

"Luke, wait," she said, panic finally setting in. He was going to go to the president's office to tell them everything. She had to do something, even though she felt like the walls were collapsing on top of her. "You don't have to do this."

"Go pack your things. You've had enough."

"Don't tell me what I've had enough of!" she snapped.

He wrenched his sleeve back from her grasp and rounded on her in the middle of the corridor.

"What do you want me to do? Ignore this?"

"Yes! I'm not some little kid on the playground anymore, Luke. Look at me."

He sighed and stared into her eyes. After a moment, he said, "You're a boy."

"Yes, but I'm Annabeth too. When have you ever known me to just roll over and give up?"

Luke licked his lips and shifted his weight to his other foot. Before he could say anything more, a voice called to them from down the hall.

"Is there a problem here?"

It was Chiron, his hands on the wheels of his chair and a pile of books stacked in his lap. He was watching them with mild concern, then his expression turned to one of recognition.

"Is that Luke Castellan?" he asked, coming to meet them. "After all this time… How long has it been - ten years?"

Luke cleared his throat, obviously not expecting to see his old middle school teacher right then and there. "Yessir, good to see you."

Annabeth was ashen and refused to look up from the tiling on the floor, even when Chiron stopped right in front of her. She could feel Luke just itching to tell her secret.

Chiron suggested, "Shall we stop in my office for a nice cup of tea?"

"Sir, I -"

Chiron held up a polite hand. "Please. I believe we have much to discuss."

* * *

Annabeth was sitting on the edge of her seat, her tea left untouched on the small coffee table dividing Chiron from she and Luke on the other side.

He watched the both of them over steepled fingers and took his time with the silence. This was it. She was in so much trouble.

Luke shifted in his chair and kept looking at Annabeth, like he was waiting for her to fess up. But Annabeth kept staring through the tea cup without seeing anything. Her future was dangling on the tip of a cliff, ready to be pulled into the abyss.

Chiron took a deep breath and said, "No doubt, Luke, that you have discovered Annabeth's disguise."

Luke tore his eyes away from her and steeled himself. "You knew? This whole time?"

Chiron nodded. "It's easy to put the pieces together when we have the most esteemed pre-architecture program in the country and a female student with a passion for that career comes through its doors. It was a surprise, but a welcome one."

"How can you just let her do this?"

"Because I'm curious."

"You're joking."

"Not at all."

Annabeth could feel Luke's eyes on her again and she swallowed hard. Her throat was very dry, but she couldn't drink.

"Who else knows?"

"Just the pair of us so far."

"If you found out, that means anyone can."

"True, but don't we think Annabeth - or rather, Andrew - is more than capable of handling the situation?"

"That's your name now?" he asked of her.

She nodded.

Luke held his forehead in his hands and looked like he was going to pass out. "I can't believe this."

"Please be assured, Luke, I have no intention of revealing her true identity."

Annabeth looked up, only just. Perhaps she had more than one friend on her side.

"So you're just going along with it?"

"She's one of my top students. I have it on good authority that she has the highest grades of any on campus. I'm proud of her accomplishments."

Annabeth worked hard for her grades, and it showed. Her cheeks bloomed with heat.

Luke said, "That doesn't excuse the fact that she's a girl on an all-boy campus. She could get seriously hurt if anyone -" He stopped himself short. "If they find out she's really a girl, you think they're not going to take advantage of that? Haven't you seen the news, what's happening on college campuses or in the military? She's putting her safety at risk for what? Don't we think this is taking it too far?"

"These are serious facts, but is it really our right to deny her this chance to become who she wants to be?"

"Did she even think about this all the way through? She's just a kid!"

A twinge of annoyance shook her. He was talking about her like she wasn't even there. Everything was falling completely out of her control.

Luke stood, ready to leave again. "If you're not going to end this, I am." He crossed in front of Annabeth and headed toward the door.

Annabeth's stomach clenched like an icy claw had grabbed it. "Luke, stop!"

He did, but only because she sounded desperate, like she was drowning. He turned to look at her, his profile getting caught in the light from Chiron's desk lamp.

She focused her gaze, readying herself, and rose on her feet. "It's my responsibility. _My own__._ If I'm going to tell the truth, it's something that I need to do myself."

"But you won't."

"You're right. I won't because I've worked too hard and I've gotten this far."

Luke shook his head and groaned. He wasn't getting it.

"Listen to me!" Annabeth shouted.

Luke leaned back a little, startled.

"If you respect me at all, you'll respect this decision."

"I want to protect you. I _need_ to protect you."

Chiron interrupted. "Annabeth." She met his dark eyes. "As long as I am on these grounds, you have nothing to fear from me. I'll keep your secret as long as you need me to. But to ease Luke's concerns, will you promise to come to me for any problems you may have?"

"That doesn't mean nothing's going to happen to her -"

"Are we to shelter her forever because we're afraid of what might happen? Are you going to rob her of the opportunity to live?"

"And you'd go to prison for it?"

"It would appear I have no other choice now," Chiron said with a small smile.

Annabeth spoke up. "Even though you think I didn't, I _have_ thought about this. A lot. And I never meant to get anyone else involved…"

Chiron nodded in understanding and Annabeth faced Luke square-on.

"But I know the risks, and it's not going to make me back off."

Luke went quiet again. But not an angry quiet, rather a pensive and worried one.

"And what about your roommate?" he asked, his voice low.

"What about him?" Annabeth asked.

"Do you trust him?"

Annabeth thought for a moment. She wanted to be able to answer Luke truthfully. It was fair to admit that she didn't know Percy that well, even though they had gotten closer over the last few weeks. But could she really see him getting violent about it? Angry, maybe. Betrayed? Would he take it to the level of violence Luke was so worried about?

Not once had she ever felt uncomfortable around him, by things he said or did. Whenever he walked into a room, she couldn't help but feel just a little bit better about the day. The way he smiled, the way he wrote his J's, the way his voice got raspy when he got tired after staying up too late studying with her...

Granted, Percy had no other reason to believe she was anyone other than Andy, so she couldn't be certain, but… She had to believe in something.

"Yes," she said, her eyes as set as steel. "I trust Percy."

Luke watched Annabeth for a moment - it could have been a whole year for all she knew - with those hard blue eyes that held her tight. He then turned to Chiron.

"Do you know this Percy guy?"

He nodded his head. "I do. The boy means well. I'm willing to bet our Annabeth could break him in half though, if he proved me wrong."

Annabeth almost smiled, but she covered it by sucking in her lips. Chiron's eyes flicked to her for a moment before they went back to Luke.

"I have faith in Annabeth. I know you do too. Let's prove that, shall we?"

Luke caught Annabeth's eyes again and she found them softer. For the first time in an hour, Annabeth didn't feel like puking.

* * *

"I want a text, email, _something_ from you every day. Just let me know you're okay."

"I will, I promise."

Annabeth laughed, an honest-to-goodness laugh that flittered through her whole body. Luke had brought her back to her room and made sure she was settled. She had explained everything and he listened with quiet patience. Even though he didn't necessarily agree with her about what she was doing, he seemed to be coming around. The dorm felt a lot brighter since the last time they were there together, even though the sky outside had completely darkened. A lot more than spirits had been lifted when Luke had agreed to keep her secret.

"Annabeth…"

She assured with a pat on his arm. "I know. But you can't call me that anymore. Not here. Do you want me to get caught so soon?"

"Okay, Andy… Wow. I think it might take a little for me to get used to that."

Annabeth lowered her voice. "But you know I'm still your Annie on the inside, right?"

Luke smirked. "That's all I need."

He hugged her again and she took him in with a deep breath. He always smelled like memories - of sitting on the porch eating ice cream cones, riding bikes furiously to get out of a thunderstorm, catching salamanders under logs in the backyard. He was always there with her.

He pulled away again and said, "So, wait. Earlier you said Thalia knows, then Chiron knows, and now I do. How come I'm third?"

"Well, technically, fourth."

Luke looked offended.

"Piper," she reminded him.

"Of course," he said, grinning. "Your partner in crime."

Annabeth smiled too but it fell a bit when she had to get something off her chest. "Listen, about earlier. I'm sorry I got frustrated with you. It wasn't that I didn't trust you, I just needed to minimize impact. The fewer people that know about it, the less likely it'll blow up in my face. It's nothing personal."

Luke nodded solemnly. "I understand now. I don't want you to look back in fifty years and regret not having the chance to try. And I don't want to be the one to keep that from you either."

"Thanks," she said, and this time she was the one hugging him.

She closed her eyes and relished the feeling. His grasp was a little too tight around her waist, like he was worried she would fly away and he would lose her forever. But she held on just as hard.

"I'm going to miss you a lot," she said.

He squeezed tighter and Annabeth smiled. There was a sound of something shifting near the door and Annabeth opened her eyes. Standing there was Percy, holding a paper bag and looking at them in surprise.

"Oh, sorry -"

Annabeth practically threw Luke off of her. Luke straightened and ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to act cool.

"I - I brought you this," Percy said, holding out the paper bag for her. It had a Hestia's Hearth symbol on the front of it.

Annabeth took it and the paper was immediately soaked with the sweat from her palm. "Thanks. Um, Percy, this is my friend Luke. Luke, this is Percy - my roommate."

"Ah. We finally meet."

Luke held out his hand for Percy and they shook. Percy narrowed his eyes at him though, like squinting in the sun. "Have we met before? You look familiar…"

Annabeth gaped. Had he recognized Luke from the coffee shop? Her whole body froze up, like she had been dropped into a dunk tank at the fair.

"Have I seen you on TV?" Percy asked.

Luke cracked a smile. "You know what, I get that a lot. I just have that kind of face."

Percy scanned him a little longer and then shrugged, thinking nothing more of it. "Well, it was nice meeting you anyway."

"You too. Good to put a name to the face." Luke glanced at Annabeth with a raised eyebrow as if to say, _I know who to kill first if this goes south_, and headed toward the door.

"I'll see you out," Annabeth said and hurried after Luke.

She was seriously so lucky, she should buy a lottery ticket.

* * *

When Annabeth got back from walking Luke off campus, Percy was doing push-ups in the middle of the room. He stopped when she closed the door and stood to face her. He had changed into one of his cotton t-shirts and athletic shorts. He was a little pink cheeked, probably from all of the push-ups he had done already.

"I didn't mean to walk in on you," he said. "Sorry, if I interrupted. If you wanna bring anyone up here for a little… one-on-one time, just let me know."

It took a moment for Annabeth to register what he meant. "Wait, you think Luke and me -?"

"I know a lotta gay people. I'm not weirded out by it or anything. Just say the word and I'll be sure to give you space."

Annabeth stammered, suddenly very warm. "I'm n-not gay."

Percy watched her as if he seriously doubted that, what with him walking in on a very long, very close hug between two guys.

"I thought since you called him your _friend_…"

"I didn't say it like that. He's just a friend, really."

"Just a friend?"

"Just a friend."

Percy used his shirt to wipe the sweat off of his forehead, revealing his totally unfair core which Annabeth had to avert her gaze from unless she wanted to get even warmer, and sighed.

"Alright, no pressure... "

"Didn't you have swimming practice today?" she asked.

"Got cancelled. I'm - literally - grounded. They're cleaning the pool or something, so I've got the whole weekend off, and Jason invited me to town. Sorry you were busy. We would've taken you to this place called Hestia's. They make this wicked scone thingy but they were sold out. So I got you something else instead, just 'cuz."

He went into the bathroom and flicked on the light. Before he shut the door, he pointed to the paper bag still in her hand. "I hope you like cinnamon."

With a snap, the door closed and Annabeth was left in the room with his gift. She opened the bag and got a whiff of - no surprise - cinnamon. It was a cinnamon roll, just like the one she had abandoned earlier with Luke.

She pulled it out of the bag and held it up to her nose. It brought a smile to her face. She peeled off a bit of it and put it in her mouth. It was sweeter than she would ever remember.


	14. Fun and Games

**A/N: Sorry for the delay you guys! Thank you so much for all of your support!**

* * *

Early Friday morning, Annabeth didn't have any classes. She specifically worked out her schedule to get a three-day weekend. There was now plenty of time to catch up with the rest of the week - study, write, nap, and do laundry. That day, she definitely needed to get started that last one. She had gone practically a whole month without having a reason to find the laundry room but now that she was down to her last pair of boxer briefs, it was time to do some exploring.

The whole ordeal with Luke was finally over and it was an honest relief, making her feel like she was weightless. She had texted Piper about the whole thing, who replied in mostly capital letters that she was _SO HAPPY THANK GOD_ and that she had been _FREAKING OUT_. That night Annabeth fell asleep to Percy's snoring and was thankful that she was still around to hear it.

But that didn't take care of the fact that her laundry still needed to get done. She found herself in the basement where she heard the familiar sound of a machine running. After following the noise all the way toward a windowed area, she saw that, yes, she had made it. And she wasn't alone.

Sitting on one of the washing machines was Nico, swinging his legs in circles since his feet were so far from the floor. He was wearing a black shirt and athletic shorts and his fingers were intertwined into themselves as he stared at a spot in front of him, lost in a deep thought that kept him from noticing Annabeth walk in. She put her basket down at one end of the line of washers and the scrape of it against the cement brought Nico out of a trance.

He snapped his head to look up at her and she smiled.

"Hey," she said, barely loud enough over the noise.

He nodded in reply and turned to look at the invisible spot again.

Annabeth loaded an open washing machine with her pre-sorted darks and filled it with detergent. All the while she was aware of Nico just sitting there. It would be normal to just leave without saying anything, right? She didn't feel particularly close to Nico, but… But she would be rude otherwise.

"No classes today either?" she asked when she placed the quarters in the slot and started its cycle.

Nico just barely met her gaze and nodded again. "Yeah," he sighed.

She got the feeling he was kind of down. Granted, he always seemed down. Whenever she had seen him, in the cafeteria mostly, he was reserved and kept to himself. For some reason she felt like she owed it to him to give him a chance.

"What's your concentration? For school?" she asked.

He met her eyes but only just. It was like he didn't want to look her straight on, as if it was impolite. His attention settled down on his hands again. "I don't really have one."

"Oh," she said, feeling that the conversation was kind of failing on all counts. He wasn't giving her much to go off of and it was quickly becoming awkward. "Alright, well, I'll see you around."

Annabeth made it all the way to the door before Nico turned around and spoke up.

"What's yours?" he asked. "Your concentration, I mean."

Annabeth backtracked a bit and leaned against one of the folding tables. "Architecture."

"So you want to design buildings and stuff?"

"Yeah, and stuff," she said, and she cracked a smile.

Nico's lip twitched like he wanted to smile too but stopped halfway.

"Is that what you always wanted to do?" he asked.

"I think so. What about you? What do you want to do?"

Nico shrugged a shoulder. "Travel maybe?"

"That's not a bad option."

"Yeah, but I'm not like you, or Jason, or Percy. You guys know what you want. I'm just…" He waved his hand through the air, "coasting."

"And you think that's a bad thing?"

He shrugged again. She noticed he did that a lot.

Annabeth steadied herself against the table and folded her arms across her chest. When his clothes were done, the machine buzzed, and Nico hopped onto his feet and opened the washer door. What was inside made him freeze.

Annabeth, mildly concerned, asked, "What's wrong?"

Nico reached in and pulled out a white undershirt - except it wasn't totally white anymore. Instead it was rather pink. The culprit was a bright red sock which he held in his other hand.

Annabeth moved over to him and looked inside the bin. The rest of the white load had been stained too. It was just a mess of splotchy-pink shirts and underwear.

"This is why I wear black," he groaned.

The way he said it, the look of desolation, the tinted boxers - Annabeth couldn't help but giggle. She covered her mouth and snorted.

Nico looked at her with his lips slightly parted and his eyebrows disappearing into his dark hair. It was like he was shocked she would even make fun of his bad luck. But it just made Annabeth laugh harder.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh - it's just…" she started cackling again, painfully so, and slapped her palm flat against the washer as she tried to catch her breath.

She heard Nico's breath hitch and she saw him smiling too as he snickered at his own misfortune. Since she had met Nico that first day at breakfast, this was the first time she had seen Nico genuinely smile. This time he didn't hold back.

They shared the laugh for a good while before Jason entered the laundry room.

He walked up to them, smiling as he did, and asked, "What's going on?"

Nico held up his ruined shirt and Jason cringed.

"That sucks, dude."

"No thanks to you!" Nico teased, flinging the sock at Jason. It landed on his chest and stayed there until he peeled it off. It left a big damp spot on his t-shirt.

"You guys are roommates?" Annabeth asked.

"Barely. Nico hardly ever comes home." Jason bundled up the sock in his hand and spoke to Nico, "Seriously, I'm sorry about that. I didn't know it got mixed up in your basket. I can pay for your clothes…"

"No, it's okay. It's not like my underwear supposed to be seen anyway."

Nico opened up a dryer door and started tossing the damp clothes inside.

"Let me make it up to you then," Jason said, his lip twitching as he smiled. His eyes were alight as he looked back and forth between two of them. "My dad says they're closing the beach house this weekend so if we want to go, now's the time. Figured we'd take the van up there, spend the last days of summer while we still can… Percy, Leo and Frank are all in."

He turned to Annabeth and added, "Andy, the invitation is totally for you too."

"You sure?"

"Yeah! The more the merrier."

"Where is it?"

"Just outside of Santa Maria. By the national park."

Annabeth wasn't familiar with the area but it sounded nice as she imagined sun, sand, and sea - anything not to spend the weekend alone. "Sure, why not?" Annabeth said, grinning.

Nico nodded as well. "Yeah, me too."

Jason clapped his hands together. "Awesome. We're leaving this afternoon!" He side-skipped out of the laundry room, but ducked back inside to add, "Don't forget your swimsuits!"

Annabeth's smile dropped as her stomach turned to stone.

The drive up to the cottage was entertaining to say the least.

It was like every single boy had intravenously shot themselves up with sugar and energy drinks. With the promise of little to no supervision at the Grace family beach house, she expected no less.

Jason, in the driver's seat of the white "Bolt Academy Use Only" van - "It's fine," he explained. "Perks of being the headmaster's son!" - had turned the radio up on full volume so the entire car was literally bouncing with bass and bodies, all dancing wildly to the beat.

Annabeth, after she had picked a spot in the back next to Nico, was in full view of all the action. Up front, Jason and Frank were bobbing and weaving their heads from side to side in unison. Percy and Leo were in the middle row, screaming along with the lyrics and using their sunglasses cases as microphones. Flinging his arms for enunciation, Percy pointed at Annabeth and tried to get her sing too but she waved him off, smiling. Percy and Leo were having enough fun for the whole group.

Annabeth didn't know the song so she was satisfied with just staying quiet in the back, though the speaker right next to her ear was ensuring that she would have permanent hearing loss.

Since it was just under a four hour drive, the excitement eventually wore down to a healthy buzz in the air and the music was lowered to a more bearable volume. They took the freeway through city and forest alike, and after a while Annabeth got a good, long look of the ocean that spread out across the rocky strip of coastline. The waves crested, white and foamy, like someone had painted them on.

It was a beautiful day, which wasn't hard to expect in California after all, she thought, but she welcomed what she anticipated would be a good weekend - despite the unfortunate fact that she couldn't swim like the rest of the guys. She would have to do more lying about why she couldn't take off her shirt, or why she had to change apart from them, or why she couldn't - a sickening jolt struck her - _Do guys skinny dip together for fun? Is that a thing?_ She decided not to think anymore of it unless it was a bridge she had to cross, so she shook her head and cleared it of any decidedly-less clothed images.

Percy rested his forehead against the glass window and she saw his reflection's eyes trained on the ocean. He looked far away and dreamy and Annabeth smiled too.

The sun was low in the sky when Jason took a turn down a private dirt road lined with firs. The only lights she saw through the trees, like a pair of glowing eyes, were two windows from a large white Palladian-style house. No, not a house - more like a villa.

"This is your vacation home?" Annabeth asked, as she stared at the symmetry of it all and physically ached for its grandeur. She could only imagine Jason's "regular" place.

Jason parked the van in a small lot to the side of the house near the gardens and a fairy lighted grilling patio.

"Yeah," Jason said. "Spent a lot of summers up here. Come on in!"

When Annabeth stood outside the van, the villa seemed even bigger. It was probably three houses in one. The estate stood alone on the plain, surrounded by trees and backed by the beach. A trail of lit Olympic-like torches were snaking down to the water and the urge to drop everything and weep over its beauty was overwhelming.

Percy came up from behind Annabeth and stole her duffle out of her hand. He flung both his and hers over his shoulder and didn't break stride as he followed the others toward the front doors.

"Hey!" she shouted and ran after him.

"You're drooling."

"Doesn't mean I can't carry my own stuff!"

She jumped to snatch it from his grasp but he swung it around and held it high, like dangling a carrot. She grabbed the bottom of it and pulled it down so Percy let go, smirking all the while. She scrunched her nose at him and he let out an airy laugh.

Together they walked up the steps to the front doors where Jason was already speaking to a buxom woman wearing a yellow flannel shirt and jean shorts. Her silky dark hair was falling out of a ponytail and dirt was caked up to her elbows. She had her hands on her hips and was talking with Jason like he was late for dinner.

The way Jason introduced her though, maybe he was.

"Guys, this is Demi. She's our house caretaker and live-in chef."

"Hey y'all," she said, with a homey Southern accent. Her smile was warm as she waved, looking each of them over. "Welcome!"

"You manage this place?" Annabeth asked.

"Most of what you see is me. Especially the garden. Come! Make yourselves at home! You gotta get your rest for the work ahead!"

Percy froze with one foot inside the door. "Work?"

"Hun, you didn't think you were staying here for free, did you?"

Jason sighed, "Demi, can't you cut us a break?"

Demi laughed heartily and looped her elbow into Jason's. "Oh sweet summer child, I am gonna slog you like a mule in a field."

Jason looked over his shoulder for help but all he found was Leo pounding his fist into an open palm, Frank holding his forehead in his hand, and Nico giving him the death-glare. By the way Jason smiled weakly, he had known exactly what he was getting them into.

After they had dumped their stuff in the spare bedrooms (of which there were many to choose from), everyone met downstairs on the porch for some of Demi's famous barbeque brisket on homemade bread, with sides of coleslaw and salad straight from the garden nearby. The night had settled and the mosquitos were kept at bay by dozens of candles lit along the perimeter of the deck.

Percy, sitting across the table from Annabeth, took seconds of everything. It probably should have been counted as thirds.

"Really good, Demi," he said through a mouthful. "Like, really really good."

Good was an understatement. The meat practically melted in Annabeth's mouth. It was perfectly done.

Demi sat at the head of the table, cradling her chin with her hand and smiling. "Thanks, hun."

"He's on the swim team," Jason explained to her. "His metabolism is off the charts."

She looked impressed. "Eat as much as you'd like then, Percy. You'll spare me the leftovers. What about you, Frank? How about some of this coleslaw?"

"No, thank you," he said putting up a hand. "Me and mayo don't go well together."

"I gotchya there. How about you, Andy?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I'm stuffed. Pretty sure you have to tie me down or else I'll roll off."

Demi chuckled and Percy waved the bowl over to himself. Seriously, he could pack it away.

"So tell me: how's school?" she asked the table. "You preparing for The Bolt Girls yet?"

Annabeth furrowed her brow. "What's that?"

"The Bolt Girls?" Nico asked, confused too.

Jason groaned. "Ah, Nico. I keep forgetting you're only a freshman. Sorry."

"No problem, but what is it?"

Leo finished taking a sip of his lemonade and explained, "It's this thing we do every year for charity. We dress up in drag and lip sync on stage. The best performance of the night gets five hundred bucks, an XBox, and three excused absence passes."

"Wait, you said drag? As in, you dress up like girls?" Annabeth asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah! I have to say though, Jason and Percy make for pretty fugly ones."

"Dude!" Percy protested through a mouthful.

"I relay the facts, my friend."

Percy snarled but kept eating.

"Frank and me, though?" Leo said as he wrapped his arm around Frank's neck. "We're winning this year for sure."

"Do you pair up?"

"By roommates. Looks like you're stuck with the ugliest girl on campus, Andy."

Percy flung a piece of lettuce at Leo and it got stuck in his hair. He raked his fingers through this curls a few times but it wouldn't come out. Percy cackled out of spite.

Annabeth pinched her lips smugly and asked Leo, "What makes you so sure that I won't win?"

"Sorry bro, I just don't think you've got what it takes to be a chick."

The following morning, Demi's words were a promise as she put them all to work at the crack of dawn. Breakfast was too quick. Annabeth didn't even have a chance to digest her bacon and eggs before she was handed a bucket and mop then told to wash down all of the hardwood floors in the house.

Percy was in charge of cleaning all of the windows, inside and out, which was a tough job since most of them were twenty feet high.

Nico and Jason were tasked with repainting the boat house and the gardening shed. Leo got dusting and kitchen duty with Demi, and Frank had to hand-wash all of the delicate linens, like the curtains and furniture upholstery.

"How's it going, Cinderella?" Percy asked Annabeth, as he moved the ladder to the next window.

Annabeth wiped a line of sweat from her forehead and wrung out the mop into the dirty water. "Nearly done I think."

"Yeah, me too. Betchya I'm faster."

"What, like a race?"

Percy's smile was so bright. Annabeth matched it and chuckled.

"Threetwoone - go!" Percy yelled and ran up the ladder and Annabeth swung the mop from side to side so fast, the floorboards should have caught fire. This was probably the most fun she had ever had doing chores in her life.

Demi, after inspecting their work, was satisfied with the quality and let them go. It was a mad rush as bare feet stomped down the wooden stairs leading down to the beach. The boys barked and yelled as they jostled to be the first one there. It didn't really matter though because shirts went flying and one by one each guy dove into the surf.

The day was hot and the sand even hotter under Annabeth's feet. She made it to the shade of the umbrella that had been set up then laid out her towel for her to sit on.

Nico did the same.

"Not going to swim?" she asked.

"I don't do sun," he said.

Together they sat, watching the boys literally frolick in the waves. Annabeth couldn't help it, but her eyes kept finding Percy. It was almost like he had been dehydrated, parted from the water for so long. When he rose from the surface, pushing his hair out of his eyes, Annabeth felt the flush in her cheeks and resigned herself to drawing circles in the sand with her toes.

He was in his element. With the water sparkling in the sun off his dark skin like that, he looked like a god. Though that whole image was shattered the moment he started dancing, with hip thrusts that would have Elvis Presley rolling in his grave. He was such an idiot.

She fiddled with the hem of her new men's swimming trunks as she smiled and tried to hide it. The salty ocean breeze kicked up and she caught whiffs of the fir trees that hugged the sandy beach in green. This was the vacation she desperately needed.

From his bag, Nico pulled out a series of cards and started laying them down on the towel.

"You want to play?" he asked.

"What is it?"

"Mythomagic."

"Never heard of it."

"I can teach you if you want," Nico said, a kind of childlike excitement washing over him. His dark eyes met hers and she saw a twinkle in them she hadn't seen before. Maybe, slowly but surely, Nico was opening up a little to her.

"Is it hard?"

"No - well, I mean - yeah. But you'll get it."

"I'm up for a challenge," she said with a smirk and turned to face him.

He showed her all the cards and what they did and how many points she would win or lose depending on the play. It was the most she had ever heard him speak. The boys rough-housing in the water wasn't a distraction anymore. She liked spending time with Nico. He was a calming presence, one where she didn't feel like she needed to impress him all the time.

"Andy! Nico! Come on!" Percy suddenly called, waving to her. "What are you even sitting there for?"

"Yeah, nerds!" Leo said through cupped hands. "Get in here!"

Frank and Jason probably would have joined in too if they weren't so busy doing handstands underwater, their legs flailing as they tried to balance.

"I can't swim," she lied.

Nico shook his head. "We're busy!"

"Just wade in a little! It feels great!" Percy said, splashing a wave of water right into Leo's back.

Annabeth glanced at Nico. He shrugged a shoulder. "You can go if you want."

The huge, black t-shirt she wore was basically a sun-trapper, so the water looked better by the second. "You sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, with a small smile.

"Okay. I'll be right back. Don't look at my cards."

He smiled and nodded.

This was the tricky part. She desperately wanted to go for a swim, but the obvious was stopping her. All she needed to do was take a dip and get out. No one would even be the wiser because the dark t-shirt hid more than enough.

The water was cold, cold enough for her to gasp, and she stepped further in until she was up to her waist.

Percy watched her with curved eyebrows. "What, not taking off your shirt?" he asked.

"I'm not here long. Just cooling off," she said, wobbling her ankles so they sank into the sand.

"Lame," he said, though it wasn't unkind. He spun in a circle and threw a tsunami of water right at her, striking her straight in the face. The shock of the cold sent her spine rigid. She froze, open mouthed, in shock.

Percy giggled and stuck his tongue out.

Revenge ignited in her belly and a smile curled on her lips.

"You little -"

Percy turned and bolted away, laughing like a little kid, then Annabeth felt the current tug. At first, she didn't think anything of it, what with the waves crashing against her body and all, but then she felt the sand melt beneath her feet.

The waves parted into calmer sea and then the ground fell away. She was sucked into deeper waters and realized with a sickening jolt that the shore was so far. There wasn't even time for her to call out or say something. She tried to swim toward the others' turned backs, but the current was too strong, like hands tugging her out to the open ocean.

Then her swim trunks caught on something below the surface and Annabeth was pulled under.


	15. Potatoes and Polaroids

Percy stopped running and turned around, waiting to feel the splash smack against him, but all he saw was open water. He scanned around, searching the waves for Andy coming in for a sneak attack, but there was nothing. His smile fell a little when he waited a moment and watched the ocean. The waves were acting weird, parted in the middle by calm water - too calm...

"Andy?" he called out, hoping beyond hope it was all a prank.

He didn't want to think anything bad had happened, but he couldn't ignore the wrench in his gut that told him something was wrong. His stomach felt like it was imploding and his heart started to race. It would be easy to believe everything was fine, but Percy knew better.

Jason and the others quieted when they realized Andy was nowhere to be found.

"What's up?" Jason asked.

Percy ignored him and whipped his finger toward Nico. "Go get help!" And then he ran toward the riptide.

"Percy, wait!" someone shouted, but Percy didn't listen. He couldn't hear anything except for his own heartbeat and then he dove. The water roared around his ears as he was pulled by the ocean faster than he could ever swim. It was a completely different universe under the surface, full of churning water and swirling bubbles. His whole world flipped upside down as he spun out of control.

Then he saw a blur of something dark and big stuck in the coral, and Percy just knew, so he rammed himself right into it. He barely had time to clench his arms around Andy's torso and pull and he felt something tear - Andy's swimsuit - and they were free, spinning out farther into the ocean.

As his lungs burned, darkness popped into his vision, blinding him enough from which way was right. So he yanked them sideways and the water calmed.

Percy kicked and brought them both straight up to the surface. Andy was as heavy as a - well, as heavy as a body could be. Percy grunted and gasped as he pulled Andy higher out of the water, trying to ignore the fact that Andy wasn't responsive. He couldn't worry about that now. He had to get them to safety. He swam hard for the both of them but not toward the beach - toward the woods.

* * *

He carried Andy over his shoulder as he found his footing in shallow water and trudged forward, wincing with fatigue. The boy's hands were limp as Percy hauled them both to the grassy bank on the edge of the treeline and dropped onto dry land. He took half a second to catch his breath before checking Andy, who still wasn't moving.

"Andy! Andy!" Percy gasped, shaking his shoulders. His head just lolled to the side and it made Percy feel panic bubbling up his throat.

He racked his brain for what to do first and settled on putting his ear up close to Andy's lips and then he waited. He felt and heard nothing.

With shaking hands, he put his fingers to Andy's neck and searched for a pulse. And there was one, but just barely. It was so weak.

He had to help Andy breathe.

He watched Andy, whose skin was slowly purpling, and knew that if he didn't act now, Andy would die.

Steadying himself, he lifted Andy's chin toward the sky and pinched his nose. He hovered his own lips over Andy's pale, parted ones, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

But Andy lurched and spit water into Percy's face as he curled up into himself and gasped for air.

Percy sat back as Andy choked, wheezed, and gagged. He blinked his gray eyes open and saw Percy sitting there.

"What… what happened?" he asked.

Percy, relieved, fell backward onto the slope next to Andy and had to remind himself to breathe too. His arms felt like they had been buried in cement. He was content with just lying there forever. He looked up at the bright blue sky, never noticing just how blue it was before, and realized that he could have easily gotten the both of them killed.

And he would have done it again in an instant.

He was faintly aware of Andy at his side, covering himself up with his arms like he was in pain.

"You're not hurt, are you?" he asked, still staring at the fast-moving clouds.

"No…" Andy said. "My shorts are ripped though."

They went silent and Percy could faintly hear the shouts of the others as they were no doubt sprinting through the forest towards them. All things considered, it was actually kind of nice being alone with Andy. It gave him time to recover, time to process, and appreciate the quiet before the frenzy.

"So… do you know?" Andy asked, barely above a whisper.

There was tension on the edge of his words, like he was waiting for an answer he didn't want to hear. Percy figured he must be out of it, maybe in shock.

"Know what?"

"About… about me."

Percy managed to crack a smile and chuckled. "Yeah, that I know more about riptides than you."

Andy turned to look at him. Percy met his gaze and kept on smiling - the complete opposite of Andy's wide-eyed stare. He couldn't help it though, he was that happy.

"THEY'RE DEAD!" Leo cried from the treeline, then Percy sat up. "Oh," Leo corrected. "Nevermind, they're fine."

Andy sat up too and hunched his shoulders. He was shivering enough that his hair dripped water like a dog shaking dry.

The others burst through the trees with Demi bringing up the rear, lugging a tower of towels in her arms. She rushed over to Andy and wrapped him up in every single one of them, even draping one over his head. Percy watched Andy's face - red-cheeked and down-turned - and wanted to say something to make him feel better but his mind went blank.

"Up you get!" Demi grunted and hauled Andy to his feet. "There's a nice mug of hot tea waiting for you inside."

She and Andy disappeared into the woods while the others followed a bit behind.

"Dude," Leo said, beaming at Percy. "You just saved his life."

"Not really, I mean, I just grabbed him-"

"It was like an action movie!" Nico agreed, nodding.

Jason nudged Percy with his elbow and grinned.

Frank slapped his hand on Percy's back. "You're like a hero."

"Yeah," Percy said, his smile falling. "Yeah…"

Jason cut in. "Like a hero? Dude, he _is_ a hero."

"You know what I meant…"

Percy slowed to a stop and let the others trail ahead. He was certain, in that moment, that his life would be definitely darker if Andy wasn't in it.

* * *

Annabeth couldn't stop thinking about him.

The way he looked down at her from above with the spark of relief in his green eyes, and the water that ran in rivers down his face, the closeness of his lips with that tired smile...

It was a snapshot of the world right when she was brought back into it, like a Polaroid that had developed in her memory. It was a significant improvement from the previous mental image of Percy when she had first met him. Though she wished her new memory of him had been under better conditions, like not drowning.

Demi had brought her back to the house and sat her down while she tried to regain her composure. It would have been easy to break down but she bit her lip and held it all in. Andy wouldn't cry, so Andy didn't.

With shaking hands, Annabeth drank her tea and excused herself into her room. There, she removed her shirt and found her ACE bandage still intact around her chest. It was sopping wet. She unrolled it and laid it to dry over the shower curtain rod.

When she turned to look at herself in the mirror, she saw all of the red marks it had left on her back. The water rubbed it raw against her skin. She touched them, her fingers cold against its heat, and she was thankful that the bind had done its job.

Percy still didn't suspect a thing.

Annabeth threw away her ruined bathing suit and changed into more comfortable clothes - cargo shorts and her favorite blue hoodie.

The bandage, now only damp, was tucked away in her duffle and Annabeth made her way downstairs once more. The house was quiet as Annabeth moved through the living room and into the kitchen.

Large, floor to ceiling windows made up the entire wall facing the ocean. The sun was beginning to set which cast an orange glow over the white marble counter top that covered 99 percent of the room. Demi was leaning over a stainless steel oven and closed the door shut when she heard Annabeth enter.

"Andy! How are you feelin', kiddo?"

"I'm - I'm okay. Where is everyone?"

Demi jutted her thumb over her shoulder just as Frank ran into view of the window, holding a soccer ball over his head ready to throw it back to the others who were surely waiting out of sight.

"You want to join them?" she asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "Not really." Admittedly, she was embarrassed. It wasn't her fault that she got swept away like that, but she just felt silly. She didn't want to be helpless and she didn't want anyone to think of her that way. Facing them was a feat she didn't feel like tackling right now.

"Do you need help with anything?" Annabeth asked. "I need to do something to get my mind off things."

"Sure," Demi said. She crouched behind the island counter and hauled a bag of potatoes onto the slab of marble. "You can peel and cut these for me, if you'd like. Making mashed potatoes tonight. Already got the loaf in the oven. Think you can handle it?"

There were probably a good twenty pounds of potatoes in the bag but Annabeth looked forward to busying her mind with the work. She nodded and offered a small smile. Demi patted her on the shoulder and left the kitchen.

Annabeth stood at the island counter, facing the panorama view of the sunset ocean and got to peeling. One by one, she let the peeler do most of the work and discarded the skin into a bowl. Demi had mentioned something about compost in the garden, so the scraps would be a good thing to save.

"Need a hand?" a voice asked from behind.

Annabeth, so focused on the potatoes, nearly jumped straight in the air. The slick potato slipped from her grip and she juggled to catch it before it was safely in her palm again.

Percy was standing there, looking mildly amused and walked up to her side. He was so close, she could smell the ocean still surrounding him.

"I think I got it," she said, feeling warm. It didn't help that he leaned across her to look at the opened sack.

"That's literally a ton of potatoes."

"Not literally."

"Semantics."

"Big word," she teased.

"You're a good teacher."

For an off-handed compliment to make her knees tremble, Annabeth had to give it to him.

He picked up one of the potatoes, and despite her insistence, he began peeling it too.

Together they worked, elbows almost touching as they peeled and cut until there was a giant pile of potatoes in the pot. The sun was starting to skim the very edge of the horizon when Percy broke the silence.

"You feeling okay?" he asked.

"I've been asked that a lot - I'm starting to think maybe I shouldn't be okay." She tried to make the comment light, but it sort of rang true.

"You did nearly - um…" Percy trailed off, as if he didn't want to say the word 'drown' or 'die'.

"Honestly, I'm fine."

She could feel Percy watching her and noticed he had stopped peeling his potato. But she focused on hers and kept on going, determined not to look at him.

"You really scared me, you know," he said, his voice low.

Annabeth paused half-way through a peel as her heart squeezed. She remembered staring up at the warped sky and thinking it was an oddly peaceful way to go before she couldn't remember anything else. But she had been scared too. No - _mortified_.

Then she saw him kneeling there above her and she knew everything was going to be okay.

Something expanded in her chest and she fought the tears that burned at the back of her eyes. She blinked furiously so they wouldn't fall and turned away from Percy. The fact that she refused to let the tears fall made the fight more brutal.

"H-Hey, are you crying?" he asked.

She shook her head but refused to speak, worried that he might hear her voice crack, or her gasp hitch, or see her shoulders bounce. She held her breath so she could keep the appearance of calm.

Furiously, she wiped her eyes dry on the back of her wrist and took a deep breath. When she turned back around to the counter, waiting for her on top of it was a funny looking potato sitting on her cutting board.

"Who does that look like?" Percy asked, using the peeler to point at it.

Annabeth blinked. It was squat, and rotund, and a dirt smudge across the mid part of it looked like a goatee.

She scrunched her eyebrows and glanced at Percy. "I don't know," she said.

"I think it looks like my coach - Hedge." Percy picked up the potato and made it dance in the air as he screwed up his face and lowered his voice to a bark, "You're all swimming in molasses! _Intensity_!"

Annabeth smiled.

"My impression could use some work," he said, clearing his throat and slicing off the top of it with is peeler.

"How about this one?" Annabeth said, holding up another one. It was slender and Annabeth scratched a frown and angry eyebrows into it.

"This isn't up to code!" she said, pursing her lips and trying to get the sneer in his voice just right.

"Octavian! Oh, I hate that guy. Good one," Percy said with a grin. If he knew that she had really been crying, he didn't let on. And she was grateful for it.

Percy dug into the bag and found another one.

"Hello, handsome!" Percy cooed. "Clearly this one is me."

"What, no way!"

"Uh, isn't it obvious?"

"No."

"Yes. Look at how handsome and refined its profile is."

Annabeth snatched the potato from his hand and held it up for comparison. She even closed one eye, like she was an expert examiner. "Ah, yes. Percy Jackspud."

"Potato Jackson?" he suggested with a twinkle in his eye as he held out his hand.

"It's got a ring to it." Annabeth dropped the potato into his palm and smiled back.

Demi walked in just then and said, "More peeling, less laughing, you two. You wanted to help, I'm keeping you to it!"

"Yes, ma'am," Percy said and started furiously shredding the skin off of his lookalike potato.

Annabeth watched him go and started up on her own, a smile permanently stuck on her lips.

She was really glad Percy was in her life.


	16. Parties and Surprises

Orange flames licked the black sky as the bonfire grew higher when Frank added another plank of wood to the pit. He reeled back when the embers swirled into the smoky air. The stars were out in full force on that cloudless night and Percy got his first look at the Milky Way, too long since the last time he could remember doing so. Growing up and living in the city often made him forget just what was waiting outside of what he could see.

Percy handed Frank one of the long sticks he had gathered from the woods for marshmallow roasting and the others joined soon after. Dinner had been excellent, as expected from his and Andy's hard work, and he has his fill enough to lull him into a food coma. Andy was last to join, but Percy had saved him a seat right in between himself and Nico. He settled down on the beach chair and smiled at Percy when he accepted the marshmallow stick.

Leo, sitting on the other side of Percy, was in the middle of one of his trademark theories. "Look, I'm just saying there's a difference between hot and beautiful."

Jason asked from his spot on the other side of the fire, "Would you bang one and not the other?"

"Just because the Grand Canyon is beautiful, doesn't mean I wanna do it."

Percy snickered and stuck his marshmallow right into the fire until it turned black. Leo never failed to let the conversation get boring.

Frank, in between Jason and Leo, spoke up. "So you'd only date a girl based on her hotness level?"

"Like a girl would give him the chance," Nico whispered under his breath. He and Andy dissolved into giggles.

"Okay," Leo said, "hot is like an attitude. It's just a way about her."

"Confidence. The word you're looking for is confidence," Jason said. "Confidence is attractive."

"Nah, man. The question isn't 'Would I bang her?' it's 'Is she hot?' Okay, look at it this way. Audrey Hepburn is beautiful, right? We can all agree on that. But is she hot? No."

"Okay, then who's 'hot' according to your insane standards?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't consider himself that picky.

Leo thought about it for a moment and chewed on the inside of his cheek before he finally said, "Piper."

Jason balked while the others burst into laughter. Percy clutched his belly and rocked onto the back legs of his chair as Jason moved to stand up but Leo flung his hands out defensively.

"It's an observation! An innocent observation!" Leo said, smiling.

Jason sat back down and shook his head but smiled.

"So then is your mystery girlfriend hot?" Frank asked.

Leo looked defensive. "She's… Okay, she's different."

The boys groaned in unison. Frank knocked Leo in the shoulder.

"Double standards," he said.

"It's just facts! Piper is hot, simple as that. Caly is… on a whole 'nother level."

Frank mussed up Leo's hair.

"It's true though about Piper, dude," Percy admitted to Jason. "How did she end up dating you anyway? Was it blackmail?" He scrunched up his nose teasingly and Jason held up a fist, but it was all in good fun.

"How _did_ you guys wind up together?" Andy asked.

Jason shrugged a shoulder. "It just sort of happened… We met at a summer fair, connected online, and things just worked themselves out."

"That's sweet. You seem good for each other," Andy said.

Jason bowed his head. "Thanks."

"What about you, Andy?" Frank asked. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Percy glanced sideways at Andy. After walking in on him and that Luke guy, it was easy to see what was happening there. Was Andy about to admit it to the rest of them?

"No, I don't have a girlfriend," Andy said, flushing.

Percy drew the marshmallow out of the fire and waved it around to cool it. It was none of his business to say anything. He gingerly pinched the marshmallow, its crispy crust still practically on fire, and he pulled it from the stick. It was still too hot to eat, but Percy did anyway. He fanned his mouth as if it would help.

"You don't even have a Facebook," Leo said to Andy. "How are we supposed to know anything about you?"

Andy twisted the marshmallow stick in his hand. "There really isn't much to tell."

"Leo, leave him alone," Frank said.

"What? I just want to get to know him a little better, that's all."

"Have you _ever_ had a girlfriend?" Nico asked of Andy.

Percy watched the two of them and bit the melted marshmallow off the edge of his thumb.

"No, not seriously," Andy said. "Girls aren't really that interested in me."

"Not with that attitude!" Leo roared. Quick as a flash, he ran over to Andy and forced himself down on the chair so they were squeezed in together. He wrapped his arm around Andy's shoulders and said, "Listen close and listen well, young padawan. I will teach you everything there is to know about girls."

More groaning.

* * *

Percy plopped down in the backseat with Andy and smiled at him when the van door slammed closed. At the crack of dawn, Demi waved goodbye to them as they drove away from the beach house. Sunday morning had come far too quickly for Percy's liking, but he knew inevitably the exciting weekend had to come to an end. The drive was a lot more subdued on the way back than it was on the way there, mostly because everyone was exhausted. They had stayed up way too late last night.

Jason, hopped up on coffee, had turned the music down to barely a murmur while the others slept, or at least tried to.

Percy turned to talk to Andy, but his head was resting up against the window and his eyes were closed. But Percy knew he wasn't asleep because his thumb was circling over the back of his other hand clasped in his lap.

He was glad that Andy had lightened up enough to get back to his normal self during the bonfire, but Percy could tell that he was still a little reserved, like maybe he didn't feel like he could really fit in.

Honestly, it was Percy's idea to invite Andy to the beach house in the first place. Jason hadn't really considered it, maybe having some of his own hesitations about him from the beginning, but Percy was trying to make an active effort for Andy to feel like he was one of them now. It must be hard being the new guy, trying to find friends amongst strangers. But he kept sensing that Andy was intentionally keeping himself at arm's length.

Honestly, that explained Andy's weirdness when he first moved in. He was probably trying to figure out the playing field. Did he think the others would judge him for being gay? Did he think _Percy_ would? Like maybe he'd hurt him? It made Percy's heart ache, but there was nothing he could do. All that was left was for Percy to keep making Andy feel welcome.

With nothing else to do for the next few hours, Percy leaned his head back and closed his eyes so he could try to get some sleep.

* * *

It seemed as if they had taken the perfect weekend to go to the beach because fall decided to come into town practically the moment they got back to campus. Percy was used to some pretty severe weather and frigid temperatures back home, and seeing one of his fellow students wearing a full parka while on his way to swimming practice when he was just in warm-up pants and jacket was always something to chuckle at.

The days became shorter and the nights became longer, and Percy desperately yearned to take a trip back home just so he could see the leaves changing. His mom had left a voicemail during one of his practices that she was making pumpkin bread - dyed blue, of course - and was thinking about him. It made his homesickness just a little raw.

Classes were a good distraction from it though. And it helped that he was doing better, all thanks to Andy.

One day in Mythology, Percy got a quiz back from Chiron with a big C+ circled at the top of the paper. Chiron gave him an encouraging nod and continued handing out the rest of the quizzes. Percy couldn't believe his eyes. He tapped Andy on the shoulder and showed it to him. His grin spread wide, rivaling Percy's own.

"That's all you," Andy said. "I take no credit."

Percy squirmed in his seat, excitement brewing. "I still owe you those cupcakes I promised."

"I'll hold you to it." Andy's smile stuck with Percy, even after he turned back to face the front of the class.

* * *

Before Percy even had time to prepare, it was Halloween afternoon. He always left getting his costume ready for the last minute, so it was a mad dash to get anything ready. With his music playing in the background, a ska beat just fast enough to make him "unt-ss" along with the rhythm, Percy rummaged through his closet before he pulled out two hangers.

"What do you think - Batman or Han Solo?" Percy asked, holding up two costumes. He waved them in front of Andy, like maybe it would help him decide easier.

Andy, who was lying on his bed, looked up from his laptop and scrunched his eyebrows. "Why?"

"I can't show up to the Ac-Apollo party without one."

"The Aca-what?"

Percy lowered the costumes and cocked his head to the side. "Ac-Apollo. The acapella group."

"I think you keep forgetting that I'm new here," Andy said with a crooked grin.

Percy smiled back. It had been like he knew Andy for years already, he had to remind himself of these things. "Okay, so after a ton of noise complaints, the school administrators made all of the music students buy a house off-campus where they could practice and stuff. It's this colonial style thing, you'll love it. Anyway because it's not technically on school grounds they kind of get away with anything, so the Ac-Apollos throw a huge party every Halloween and everyone's invited, even the girls from Herald."

"So let me guess, it's loud?"

"You bet."

"But it's a weeknight. We have class tomorrow."

"Eh, no big deal. It's just one night. You coming then?"

Andy tugged at his bottom lip. "I don't know… I have a lot of work to do."

"Not on Halloween you don't!"

Andy shook his head, still smiling. "Just because it's a holiday doesn't mean my life stops. Plus, I don't even have a costume."

"You can borrow one of mine."

"I couldn't."

"Come on, it'll be fun. There's live music, and girls, and alcohol… I mean - I don't drink because, well…"

Percy wasn't sure he was ready to share that side of his life with Andy just yet. It still hurt to even think about. Andy has his secrets, he had his own.

Andy, thankfully, didn't pry. "I don't know…" he said again.

Andy was obviously hesitant, but this was all a part of _Operation: Make Andy Feel Better_. Percy couldn't just give up so easily.

"Tell you what. How about you come after you've done your work. Just hang out for an hour or two. Yeah?"

"I'll see what I can do. But I can't make any promises."

"Cool," Percy said, taking that as a sign of progress.

"Han Solo, by the way," Andy said. "Since you asked."

Percy smiled wider.

* * *

Long after night had settled, Percy hopped up the steps of the house. The darkened windows were flashing with multicolored lights in sync with the music that probably could have been heard for miles. The whole place was jumping when Percy walked in through the open door and got his bearings. Music from the amps were making the floors shake. A fog machine had covered the hardwood floor in a thick layer of smoke, so Percy wasn't sure if he was actually walking on solid ground or just a giant, thumping speaker.

All of his senses were robbed from him except his sense of smell and - well - it wasn't pleasant. The air was thick and humid, swirling with the odors of people who had been dancing for too long in stuffy costumes. He made his way past couples making out in the entryway and into the living room where the real party was. The band, all Bolt music students, was deafening as the electric guitars and the drum set just shredded his hearing. Silhouettes were dancing and jumping to the song, completely lost in their own worlds, and Percy couldn't help but smile.

He saw some familiar faces and edged his way to the other side of the room where Jason stood with Piper and Will Solace, the guy who could be found in the quad ad-libbing popular songs on his guitar with medical lyrics. ("That's what makes it IBS!")

"Hey!" he said, but it was drowned out by the singer belting into the microphone. They got the idea though and smiled when he arrived.

"Perce, my man!" Will shouted, knocking him in the shoulder with his elbow.

Percy heard that loud enough. Will was a little wobbly on his feet, his vision not quite focused. He was dressed like a ninja.

"Where's Andy?" Piper screamed when she leaned into Percy's ear.

"Back home! But what are you?"

She and Jason had matching couples costumes - at least, Percy could only assume they were matching. Since he'd known them, they had always done it. He just didn't know what he was seeing.

"Paula Deen! And Jason's my butter!"

Jason wore a giant yellow foam block around his body and his hairline was glistening. Piper primped her spiked-up silver wig and giggled.

"Han Solo. Sweet," Jason said, pointing at Percy.

"What?" Percy shouted over the noise.

"I said SWEET!"

"There's food and stuff in the kitchen," Piper said and pointed to a hallway behind them.

"Perce, Perce, Perce," Will said, grabbing hold of Percy's wrist before he could go. He could smell the bitter, hard liquor on Will's breath. The music drowned out his words, but Percy managed to hear: "... you and your thing about alco..., so ... drink from the pun... on the right."

"What?" Percy asked, having heard practically nothing.

"THE RIGHT."

"The what on the right?"

Will nodded, swaying slightly, and he must not have heard.

Percy smiled and asked again. Even though he didn't drink, he sure loved talking to drunk people. "What is on the right?"

"PUNCH!"

"What's he saying?" Percy asked, turning to Piper and Jason. But they were otherwise… occupied. Piper had pinned Jason up against the wall as they made out and he was getting handsy on her mom-jeaned butt.

"I gotchya covered, dude," Will said, slapping Percy on the back. It was hard for a hit and Percy winced a little, but it wasn't enough to sour his good mood. He thanked Will and then made his way into the kitchen.

People were lingering near a table of snacks, like pretzels and veggies, and on the kitchen counter were two bowls of punch. After stealing two handfuls of chips, Percy scanned between the two punches and tried to figure out what Will had said. He definitely mentioned the punch on the right, so maybe that was the one he was supposed to have?

He put his nose up to the bowls and sniffed, as if it would help him figure out which one was which, but he couldn't tell the difference.

"Hey, do you know which one of these isn't spiked?" he asked the people standing near the bathroom.

Most shrugged but one of them said, "I think it's the right one, there."

"Cool, thanks."

Percy ladled some into a plastic red cup and he took a long drink. It settled deep in his belly, making him feel happy and warm. A little too warm.

* * *

Annabeth opened the door to the house and peered around. She didn't recognize anybody. It was so loud and so humid inside, but she walked through the party in search of the one person she knew would be here.

She had said she would try show up, so here she was, even though her paper still needed a second read-through and she didn't want to stay out too late only to be tired the next morning. But it couldn't hurt to make an appearance, especially since Percy asked.

A hand slapped down on her shoulder and Piper screamed, "Andy's here!"

Annabeth spun around and almost didn't know it was her. But her smile was as it always was, so it gave her away. Jason was standing behind her, bobbing his head to the music.

"Are you Paula Deen?" Annabeth asked, guessing the costume.

"Yup!"

"And butter?"

"Yup!"

Annabeth laughed. Any doubts she had about coming were eased since Piper was there. If she hadn't come, she would have missed out of their matching outfits. For some reason she had just assumed they were that kind of couple, so it wasn't really a surprise. It was cute.

"You're not in costume!" Piper said, pouting.

It was true. Annabeth had only showed up in a hoodie and jeans, as usual. "No, I am! I'm coming as 'crushing disappointment'. Get it?"

Piper, probably unable to hear her through the song, just laughed and dragged her to the kitchen, with Jason close behind. It was considerably quieter there, where they could at least speak normally.

"There's food here and drinks even! What would you like?" Piper asked.

"Oh, I'm not staying long. Just wanted to come and check it out."

"You can at least have a cookie," Piper said, grabbing a plate from the table. "I made them myself."

Annabeth couldn't say no then, so she took one. "It's good!" she said through a mouthful. That was a lie. A horrible, horrible lie. Had she mistaken the sugar for salt? Piper was many things - beautiful, kind, and clever - but she was not a good cook, despite who she was dressed as.

Piper beamed though and looked so proud. "Have another!" Jason, behind her, simply shook his head with wide eyes.

She didn't need his warning. "No, thanks! I had a big dinner. Where's Percy?"

"Not sure," Jason said. "I saw him a little while ago, but I think we lost him. Someone said they saw him outside."

"Oh." Annabeth didn't mean for her voice to sound so disappointed, but it came out that way.

"Don't worry, he's fine. He's not like the rest of these lunatics," Jason said.

Just then, a group of guys - all not wearing shirts for some odd reason - came charging through the kitchen howling like wolves as they crashed through the back door and out into the yard.

"Why doesn't Percy drink, anyway?" she asked once the stampede had cleared.

"He's got some personal history with his family and alcohol. Not really sure what, but I do know that if he even gets an ounce of it in his system, he gets really… affectionate."

"What?"

Right before Jason could explain, the pack of guys came charging back into the house, screaming and shouting, fear in their eyes.

"Dude! Cops! Run!" one cried and Annabeth was shoved sideways.

"Cops?" Piper asked, looking around. Sure enough, a flash of blue and red cut through the window, illuminating the kitchen and everyone's shocked faces.

There was some yelling from the front of the house and then panic rippled through the party. It took half of a beat before the music screeched to a stop and everyone screamed. Like oil and water, people scattered in different directions, a flurry of escape. They scrambled over counters, out of windows, through doors. Annabeth, Piper, and Jason were caught in the storm and rushed outside.

"Split up!" she managed to hear Jason say and then Annabeth found herself alone in the fresh air as dozens of figures escaped into the darkness. Another car pulled up on the other side of the yard, flashing more red and blue and figures emerged in the headlights. Either someone had called to file a noise complaint, or the cops were just waiting to snag all of the underage drinkers.

If she was caught, she'd be in worse trouble than everyone else. According to the law, Andrew Chase didn't exist. Her stomach ran icy cold and she leaped down from the porch and tore off across the lawn to get as far away from the cops as possible.

She burst through a row of head-high bushes and nearly trampled someone underfoot. Just in time, she managed to dive to the side before she stepped on him and rolled onto the grass. She groaned, her elbow sore and already swelling with heat, and then, in the light from the porch, she saw who she almost ran over.

Percy.

He was reclining on the grass, his arms tucked behind his head and looking up at the night sky with heavy eyelids. He stirred and turned toward her, like he didn't care that the cops were less than twenty feet away. Almost robotically, he sat up and stood. It looked like he was sleepwalking when he did.

She scrambled to her feet too and brushed herself off. "Percy, we have to - What are you doing?"

Percy was standing right next to her. Not near her, but practically on top of her, almost nose to nose. He loomed over her, his watery eyes tracing the contours of his face, half of his own in shadow. Annabeth's heart thumped in her throat. She couldn't think to move or step away, so instead she just stared him down. His breath had a hint of sweetness mixed with alcohol, and his lips were parted only just, full and wanting. A chill ran over Annabeth despite the warm fall night and all of the hairs on her arms stood on end.

Before she could even process what was happening-

He kissed her.


	17. Diversions and Dreams

Annabeth stood as if someone had dropped an ice cube down her shirt. Of all the places, of all the times, of all the people - Percy had to be the one, here and now, plastering his mouth onto hers like it was as normal as a handshake. His lips were soft, his arms slack at his sides, and Annabeth's face was on fire. A million thoughts rushed into her and it could only be processed in a single solitary question: _What is happening?_

He tasted like salt and vinegar chips and fruit punch and for a kiss it was so wet and sloppy and he sighed into her. And then it finally sank in. This was Annabeth's first kiss. And it was being stolen. By her wasted roommate. Who thought she was a boy.

She had half an instinct to push him away, but then Percy's lips slid off of hers.

"Whoa!" Annabeth caught Percy just before he fell sideways and went limp like a ragdoll. For a skinny guy, he was really heavy. All that muscle was just dead weight in her arms.

A flashlight skimmed the bushes and Annabeth dropped to the ground. Percy groaned underneath her and Annabeth put her hand over his mouth, his lips still damp from their kiss. _Their_ _kiss._

She held her breath as she waited, listening to the footsteps that came closer towards them, searching for any stragglers from the party. A pair of sneakers stopped just before the shrub, visibly only now that Annabeth was so low… _Wait, sneakers?_ Annabeth furrowed her brow as Percy stirred. Police officers didn't wear sneakers.

Percy tried to swat her hand away from his face, his wrist flopping like paper, but she held it firm. His drunk ass was _not_ going to get them busted.

"I know I saw someone go through here," a nasally voice said. "You can't hide forever!"

_Octavian._

If she didn't hate the guy already, now she definitely did. She'd bet all her chips that he was the one who called the cops. The bushes rustled as Octavian pushed away some of the branches to see better and Annabeth's stomach twisted.

She looked around, trying to find anything that would help, and her eyes fell on a small rock an arm's length away. Calculations whizzed through her head as she picked up the rock and figured this was her best shot. She reached back and lobbed the rock high and far and ducked back down again just in time to hear it hit the house's porch with a loud _TOK!_

Octavian's sneakers spun and his flashlight disappeared into the direction of the noise.

"Who's there?" Octavian shouted.

Percy's breath was hot on her hand but Annabeth didn't dare take it away, not when Octavian was so close. But then Octavian ran back toward the house screaming, "I saw you! Don't think you can get away!"

Giddy laughter and not-so-PG-13 taunts were thrown into the air as she heard a group of guys sprint away from Octavian. _Thank God for bros,_ Annabeth thought.

With little time to spare now that Octavian was busy, Annabeth flipped Percy over and dragged him by the armpits backwards into the dark.

* * *

"Okay, Percy, work with me here," Annabeth said, only because he definitely wasn't.

With his arm slung over her shoulder, he dragged his feet forward but barely managed to get anywhere at all. They zigzagged down the sidewalk; it probably took twice as many steps getting home than it would have to get to the party. Percy was walking like he had sea legs after a long cruise.

They had taken a shortcut through the woods and across the quad to get back to the dorm, and Annabeth only had a little ways to go before they were home safe. They were already bathed in the light from the dorm windows.

Percy's head was low, bobbing with each step, and Annabeth grabbed him around the waist, stamped out the heat on her cheeks, and hauled him on. She had broken out into a sweat, even though they had stopped to take a break a few times:

Once for Percy to lay face down in the grass...

A few minutes later so Percy could sit on a park bench only to promptly fall over backwards...

A third time when Percy demanded that he take a nap under an oak tree and puked all over its roots. Poor oak tree...

Obviously it had all been an accident that he got this drunk. After what Jason had mentioned, Annabeth couldn't help but wonder just what it was that he didn't want to talk about. Something with his family… It was a sobering thought - no pun intended - that maybe it was painful. The least she could do was make sure he made it home.

Annabeth checked the both of them in at the receptionist's desk and then carried Percy upstairs. She panted, her arms shaking and stiff as they made it down the hall and to their room. Jason's door was closed, so she had no idea if Jason and Piper had escaped. And bothering Nico to help with Percy would have been rude at this hour.

With Percy propped up against her back, Annabeth unlocked their door and almost fell inside.

It wasn't the most ideal situation to be undressing Percy when he was in this state. He had crumpled into bed almost immediately, mumbling something under his breath the whole time, and Annabeth helped him get rid of his clothes, which was a lot harder than one would think.

First she slipped off his vest and his Henley shirt. Percy, dazed and half-asleep, groaned when she moved him. His shirt smelled like puke and Annabeth held it at arms length, tossed it into the bathroom, then shut the door. Percy was halfway naked, but she ran into a conundrum when it came to his pants. They had grass stains on the knees from his nap in the lawn. She reached out to help him unzip, but she took her hand back at the thought that maybe a line was being crossed. She didn't want him to think...

Her fingers trailed over her lips. They tickled at the memory of him, how good they felt and how she wanted him to do it again._ No,_ she thought, with a shake of her head. This was a mistake. Percy was drunk. He didn't know what he was doing. Jason had said Percy gets affectionate. _He still thinks you're a boy and he's not interested._

She tugged off his boots and set them down beside his bed. When she stood up to look at him, he was actually kind of peaceful. His head was turned towards her, his bare chest rising up and down, and he was drifting off to sleep. She leaned over him and gathered up his comforter and pulled it across his body.

His hand lashed out and clutched around her wrist. Startled, she looked at him. His face was screwed up, and he moaned, "Don't leave… me…"

Was he mistaking her for someone else?

"I won't. I'll be right here," she said.

His grip loosened a little, but he didn't let go.

Annabeth tucked the blanket under Percy and reached her leg out towards the chair at her desk. She hooked her toe around its base and dragged it towards her. She settled in the seat as Percy's brow relaxed and his breath evened out.

The room got quiet and Annabeth just sat there. She didn't want to feel like the creep who watched people as they slept, but what else was she supposed to do? She tried to take her hand back once, but Percy groaned and his fingers twitched around her arm. She was stuck for a little while longer. How long though, she didn't know.

She sighed and licked her lips. The kiss replayed over and over in her mind like a looped recording. Each time it started from the beginning, she remembered something new - like the straightness of his eyebrows, or the little moan he stifled when they connected, or the prickly stubble on his chin when it scraped hers.

She turned off the light near his bedside and let her eyes slowly adjust to the dark. After a minute or two, his form came back to her. She could just barely make out the outline of his cheek against the white pillow. For once, Percy Jackson didn't snore.

An itch of curiosity picked at her brain.

"Do you know I'm a girl?" she whispered.

Percy didn't even stir.

Strangely enough, even though Percy was passed out, simply saying the words aloud was enough for her nerves to settle. She laughed airly at her own question, like she was answering it for him.

"Of course you don't. You were confused, and inebriated, and probably would have kissed anyone if you'd seen them. Unless, you're gay. Which is totally fine. It would explain a lot, actually."

Percy still said nothing and moved not an inch. Only his chest rose up and down; she could feel it tugging on the blanket.

"I wish I could tell you though… I wish you would understand. Maybe it would be easier on the both of us."

Exhaustion finally caught up with her. She glanced at the clock on the side table. It was past midnight. Her eyelids were so heavy. It wouldn't hurt if she just rested her head on her arm and waited a little while for Percy to fall into a deeper sleep before she could crawl into her own bed.

Before she knew it, she was asleep too.

* * *

Percy was dreaming.

He was walking through his mom's apartment but it wasn't really his mom's apartment because it was actually a library and the floor was made out of grass. He was walking and walking and couldn't really seem to get anywhere. His feet were bare, but that was okay because he was suddenly where he needed to be.

He heard the rain on the window and his mom from a balcony above asked, "Why does the powerful system complete the punishment?" But he didn't know. She laughed and shrugged and was gone.

When he turned around, he was sitting in the pool. But there was no water in the pool, so he sat in the deep end and looked up at the high walls and a face peered down at him and said he'd better watch out or else he would fall. But Percy was tired and he wanted to lie down, so he put his head on the pillow and tried to go back to bed.

But then Andy was there.

Andy, with his soft skin and his smile and his pink lips, Andy. They stood face to face, the entire world muted except for Andy. He looked at Percy, with those sharp gray eyes, and Percy felt solid. He wanted to reach out and touch the gentle curve of his neck, but his arms were numb and heavy and wouldn't budge.

"Why?" Percy asked.

But Andy just drifted down, down and suddenly Percy was naked. He felt lips circling him. Warmth spread. A tightness in his gut. Pleasure. And he let out a moan and his head swam with only one thing, one person, one name:

"An…"

* * *

Percy's eyes snapped open. Sunlight, too bright and too blinding, was streaming in through the window. Then the pain started. His head was being crushed by an invisible steel hand and he clutched his scalp like it would somehow help.

_What happened last night?_ he thought. But it made him nauseous to think, so he stopped before it made him puke. His own tongue tasted gross and his muscles were sore, like he had run a marathon.

The night had been a blur. He remembered drinking the punch and feeling weird, and he kind of remembered walking home, but the in-between was a mess. He had somehow made it to his own bed, but how?

He sat up and felt something heavy in his lap. He looked down and his heart nearly stopped.

Andy - fast asleep, his fingers gently curled around Percy's comforter, his lips slightly parted as he breathed, half draped on Percy's bed, half sitting on the chair nearby, and his face was lying dangerously close to Percy's… Then the dream came back to him like a tidal wave.

Percy slammed his hands down on his crotch, giving himself an extra barrier between himself and Andy, and he screamed. This roused Andy, whose eyes snapped open. He stared at Percy and then he too screamed and jumped to his feet only to bang his head on the top bunk. He spun away, stomping on the floor while he silently cringed in pain, covering his hair with his hands.

Percy pressed himself up into the corner, his bare back cold on the wall, and he checked under the covers to see if his dream had been a reality. He found his pants still on, but it didn't stop his heart from hammering in his ears. If there was ever a faster way to get rid of a boner...

"Why were you- What were you-?" He could barely form a comprehensive thought without his skull threatening to cave in.

Andy rubbed the top of his head. "I brought you home after you…" Andy flushed, his face turning as red as if he was holding his breath, "after you got drunk."

"Why were you sleeping on my bed?" It came out a little harsher than he intended.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Andy screwed up his face. "You were the one who-"

Percy waited. "I what?"

He didn't think Andy's blush could get any fiercer, but he was proven wrong. His mouth worked while he tried to make the words come out.

"You don't remember… anything about last night?"

Percy blanked. His mind was hazy, like a fog.

"Remember what?"

Andy's breath hitched and his lips pressed into a thin line. He swore he saw some relief in Andy's eyes as Percy waited, expecting the worst. His intestines coiled like a snake. The way Andy looked at him, it was like Percy deserved to know.

"Nevermind." Andy turned away and got his uniform out of his closet.

This time it was Percy's turn to flush.

"Andy, wait-" he started, but Andy disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you all so much for your tremendous support! This week's is coming to you on schedule. Last week's chapter was an exception because of BOO, so expect these to come out as usual on Thursdays from now on. If you want to keep tabs on my progress or find any updates, feel free to follow me on Tumblr at flyingcrowbar. **


	18. Confusion and Confessions

Percy was confused.

Granted, he was confused about a lot of things, but this morning was not starting off well. When Andy turned on the shower, Percy was alone with his thoughts. It didn't help that his brain was still scrambled like eggs because of his hangover. He pulled the covers off of himself and inched to the edge of the bed. With his feet flat on the chilly floor, he gripped his toes into the hardwood and massaged his fingers into his scalp, like it would help an itch he couldn't scratch. The remnants of the dream were filtering away bit by bit but one image was still very clear.

Andy.

_Fuck,_ Percy thought. _Fuck!_

A shiver ran down his spine. Andy had gone down on him in a dream. Andy, his roommate. Andy, a dude. Andy.

Percy had never had a sex dream about another guy before. He didn't think it was possible. Straight guys just didn't dream about other guys. His stomach churned from the room keeling violently to the side, and Percy closed his eyes to stop the vertigo. He vowed to never, ever go anywhere near a party again. There were plenty of reasons why he didn't drink, and this was one of them. He had been so careful and this is where it got him.

Regret seeped into his veins and he curled back up into bed and buried his face into his pillow. It smelled musty, a reminder of the night he couldn't remember, and he shoved his arm under the cool side. With his other fist pressing on his stomach, it helped ease it a little, but he figured he was dying. When Andy came out of the bathroom and found him dead, would Andy care? Percy had been unfairly short with him before after finding him sleeping in his bed, and guilt made his stomach feel even worse. If what Andy had said about carrying him home was true, he owed him thanks instead of an interrogation.

It had been a dream. A stupid dream. None of that really happened. It was all a part of his subconscious. He took a deep breath, hindered greatly by the pillow over his nose and mouth, and turned his head toward the wall then sighed. He blinked his eyes open, looking at the line of sunlight cutting across the brick wall, and his thoughts found their way back to the detailed dream.

He furrowed his brow. The bubble of Percy's sexual security was dangerously close to popping on the head of a pin. How would he be able to survive the rest of the year like this, sharing a room with a guy he just had a sex dream about? If things could get any more awkward, Percy should just move out right now and spare himself the trouble.

What did the dream mean? Did it mean that Percy was…?

All his life, he liked girls. The way they moved, the way they laughed, and the way they could wrap him around their little finger with only a word. He liked their softness and how pretty they were, their very presence sending his mind down very mature paths which he was never able to follow. He had had girlfriends in the past, mostly nothing serious that petered out after a few weeks.

The first time he kissed a girl was in the summer of his third grade; she pushed him down the slide afterward. His mom told him that girls '_don't like to be kissed unless she likes you back, kiddo._' That was his first heartbreak. In middle school, he went to a dance with a girl who let him kiss her on the cheek while waiting for their parents to pick them up. It was a huge victory for twelve year-old Percy. But she dumped him the next day.

High school proved a little bit better, even after he had enrolled at Bolt. At first, he was afraid that an all-boys school would be the worst thing ever, even if he did get in on a huge scholarship, but Rachel proved that all wrong. They met during one of Herald's mixers where students from Bolt and Herald could mingle. He was smitten with her fiery red hair and freckled cheeks. After they spent the whole party talking to each other, he invited her to the fair that was being held on the outskirts of town. He made it a casual thing, forcing Jason to come with him or else he would ruin it for sure. Percy had a tendency to act stupid around pretty girls and Jason promised to punch him in the mouth if it got out of control.

Rachel also showed up with a friend, her roommate Piper. When Jason laid eyes on her, it was all over. Percy would have to fend for himself. Jason and Piper hit it off immediately while Percy and Rachel spent some time chatting. She was an art student, a painter, and she had big dreams of moving to Paris where she could live by the Seine and paint all day. Already their futures didn't line up, but Percy didn't care. His heart was sold.

She was the one who gave him his first proper kiss. It wasn't anything special, like on the ferris wheel or underneath fireworks, but simple and quiet and shared on the edge of the fair where the lights from the Elephant Ear food cart cast half of her face in shadow. Percy's stomach melted into his shoes when she pulled away and smiled at him.

He was a bit of a hopeless romantic, one could say, falling hard for each girl he liked (the girl on the slide quite literally). And Rachel was the best thing that had happened to him in years. His fall would be harder and farther than the rest when she called it quits three months later. She was moving away to France, following her dream at an art academy, and she said it would be better if they took a break. "But we'll still be friends!" she said, her smile a little sad when she rubbed her fingers against Percy's arm.

Percy cried for days.

At least one good thing came out of Percy's misery. Jason and Piper had been inseparable since. Maybe one day he'd be so lucky.

When he was still Percy's roommate, Grover tried to cheer him up with video games and pep talks, but Percy had to get over it on his own. He couldn't help but take it personally when the people in his life decided he wouldn't be in theirs anymore. He was a little selfish that way. And Rachel had been the closest to his heart yet.

The bathroom door opened - jerking Percy out of his thoughts - and Andy walked out, dressed in his uniform and ready for the day. Percy pushed himself up onto his elbows and twisted towards him, half-ready to make an apology, but his mind was mush.

Without even looking at him, Andy crossed to his desk and got ready for class. He packed his books away into his backpack and then tied up his shoelaces. Lastly, Andy opened a breakfast bar and bit into it. Percy couldn't help but stare.

Those lips in his dream… Soft, flush, glistening in the morning light.

Andy licked at a piece of granola that had stuck to the corner of his mouth and Percy caught a flash of his pink tongue before it disappeared behind those lips again. Percy's throat went dry.

Andy turned around to leave but stopped when he noticed Percy. His cheeks pinked almost instantly.

"What?" he asked.

It was then that Percy realized his mouth was hanging open. He snapped it shut so fast, his teeth clacked together. "N-Nothing," he said, his voice breaking.

Andy used the back of his hand to check his lips for any more stray pieces of granola, like that was what Percy had been staring at.

Bashful, Percy's eyes locked on the floor in front of them like it was the most interesting thing in the world. It didn't stop his heart from pounding though.

"Are you coming?" Andy asked, once he was sure he was clean.

"Go on without me."

Andy lingered for another moment, but all Percy saw where his loafers. There were a million questions hovering between the two of them, all of them going unasked. It made the air thick with tension. Without anything more, Andy walked towards the door, opened it, and disappeared.

Percy groaned and planted his face back into the pillow.

* * *

Percy was on Annabeth's mind, more so than before. Even though it had happened - what, two? three? - days ago, that kiss was still fresh in her thoughts. It tightened her gut every time she remembered it, but she tried to get on with her day without letting him drag her down.

When she bounded up the stairs, winded and refreshed from her afternoon run, Annabeth found Piper sitting in front of Jason's door. She had her arm hanging casually over her knee and her baseball cap pulled low over her eyes. A backpack was resting near her side and she tapped her foot to a song that was only in her head. She was wearing a hoodie and skinny jeans and ankle boots. It was the weekend, after all. Annabeth would have been surprised if Piper hadn't been there.

"Hey," Annabeth said.

Piper snapped her head up as Annabeth approached and immediately her whole face brightened.

"Hey!" She got to her feet and swung the backpack over her shoulder.

"Jason's late again?"

"Yeah."

"How do you get in here anyway? Past the receptionist?"

"Window," Piper said nonchalantly as she jutted her thumb toward the one at the end of the hall.

Annabeth looked between her and the window, amazed at the three-story climb.

"I used to take gymnastics. Bet my dad never expected me to use it like this." Piper's grin had a hint of wickedness.

"Want to come in then?"

Piper nodded.

"Sorry if I'm a little gross," Annabeth explained. "I just got back from a run." If it wasn't already obvious, she indicated toward her own hoodie and sneakers.

"I don't mind. Look! I brought magazines."

Annabeth unlocked her door while looking at the backpack Piper was showing her and she smiled. "I can't help but think you planned this from the start."

"Guilty. What can I say? I like hanging out with you."

Together they stepped into Annabeth's room and Annabeth closed the door.

Percy was at practice, so they had the whole place to themselves. Piper set up camp on the rug in the middle of the room and dropped a whole stack of fashion magazines on the floor while Annabeth washed her face quickly and joined her. She didn't get to hang out with Piper nearly as much as she liked, so a shower could come later.

On their stomachs together, they flipped through the pages of the magazine, looking at all of the clothes and chatting about their day. Piper talked about how the play was going, and how her voice lessons were sucking up all her time, and how her dad was planning to come in for the performance. Annabeth asked if she could come too and Piper just about burst with excitement. It made Annabeth laugh.

She was such a ray of light, Piper was. She smelled like sandalwood and almost always had a smile on her face. She was as attractive on the inside as she was on the outside, drawing Annabeth in with ease.

When she was with Piper, she didn't have to think about being someone else. The secret was already out. She wasn't burdened by having to tell lies anymore. It was a much needed break from keeping up appearances and Piper's casual grace put her at ease, almost like she wasn't even trying. The magazine was a good distraction too. There was no pressure to posture herself or calculate her made-up past as Andrew Chase. When she was with Piper, she was Annabeth again.

She missed this kind of thing, even though she wasn't obsessed about clothes. It was like she was dosing up on femininity to sustain her until the next time.

Annabeth put her finger down on the page. "Oh, this dress is kind of cute."

She surprised even herself at her words. Annabeth from before didn't often wear dresses, let alone pink ones. But it was modest, maybe a little retro. It was short, an A-line shape, Annabeth learned, and it had a low-swooping collar but lace went all the way up to the neck. It looked like the kind of dress Annabeth could spin in and the skirt would twirl out.

Piper's eyes widened. "Oh my God, it would look so good on you!"

"On Annabeth or Andy?" she teased.

"Both. You're one person, right?"

"Still…"

"I'm still going to buy it for you. My treat."

"You don't have to do that." Annabeth's cheeks had gone hot. "It's too expensive."

"I want to." She dog-eared the page with her nail.

"Yeah, but I can't really wear it much, can I?"

"Then I'll keep it at my place. It's an excuse for you to come over and raid my closet whenever you feel like it." Piper nipped her tongue in between her teeth when she smiled.

Annabeth couldn't help but laugh. Piper was stubborn and way too nice for her own good. She wrapped her arm over Piper's shoulder, pulled her in close and tilted her head to rest on Piper's.

Piper giggled and flipped another page. "It's the least I can do after getting separated at Halloween anyway."

Annabeth's smile dropped. Her lips tingled with the memory as her stomach felt like something cold was sliding into it. The whole time she had been conveniently navigating away from the topic and it came to this. She just knew the kiss was going to slip out eventually, but it wasn't something she particularly wanted to broadcast.

"Obviously you made it out without getting caught," Piper said, "but did you give the cops a good run for their money?"

Annabeth traced her finger around the edge of the magazine. The whole time, she couldn't help but think about Percy. She didn't want to, though. She didn't want it to be a big deal. But that kiss… It would be hard to forget something like that. There was no way in heaven or hell that she was ever going to tell him about what had really happened that night. The fact that she lingered a little too long, that she let him kiss her because she really wanted him to, would be her little secret.

As far as she wanted him to think, nothing out of the ordinary happened that night and everything would return to normal, no matter that her pounding heart told her otherwise.

"Oh, uh, I found Percy and we got away."

Piper looked Annabeth over, tracing Annabeth's face. Her eyes hardened.

"You're not telling me something." Her eyes seemed to bore into Annabeth's soul.

She shrugged and avoided her gaze, instead focusing on the magazine. "What's there to tell? It was just a night, end of story."

"Annabeth."

"Hey," Annabeth pointed to the page, "aren't these boots adorable?"

Piper grabbed Annabeth's hand, her fingers warm, and Annabeth was forced to look into Piper's eyes.

"What happened?" It wasn't a question.

Annabeth wanted to look away, but she couldn't, Piper was that persuasive, her words a vice grip. So Annabeth told her - everything. It sort of tumbled out in every embarrassing detail and only when she was finished did Annabeth realize that Piper was staring at her, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide.

"Wow," Piper said slowly as she sat up.

Annabeth sighed and lowered her head.

"So he kissed you."

"Yes."

"On the lips."

"Yes."

"... On purpose?"

Annabeth rolled over onto her back. "Yes."

There was a beat and then two, and Piper was quiet.

"I know, right?" Annabeth said, breaking the silence. "It's totally messed up."

It sounded like someone was tearing up a piece of paper, but it was really Piper trying not to laugh.

"Just get it over with," Annabeth groaned.

Piper let out a shriek of laughter, powerful enough to knock her backwards and she kicked her feet up into the air as she cackled like a mad woman.

Annabeth ran her hand down her face then stared up at the ceiling. But Piper's laugh made Annabeth twitch into a smile. "It's not that funny."

"No, it really, really is. Oh. My. God."

"He doesn't know though, so keep this between you and me."

"He doesn't remember?"

"No."

"Oh shit, did he-?" She made a gesture like she was sipping a flask.

Annabeth sat up so they were cross-legged in front of each other. "Yeah. He was totally plastered, so it's not a big deal."

"'Not a big deal'? Seriously, that's hilarious. I think Jason would be relieved it wasn't him this time."

Annabeth was about to agree when she paused. "Wait, what?"

"Jason was Percy's last victim. It was a party right after school got out for summer. Same thing. Before that it was Jason again, and before that it was Frank when he was a freshman. And before that it was… Wait, who came before Frank? Leo?"

Annabeth snorted. "So, long story short, he's done this before?"

"Why else would Jason know that Percy gets affectionate when he drinks?" Piper snickered and her nose puckered.

Annabeth cupped her forehead in her hands and laughed, an honest to goodness laugh. She felt a little bit better.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Piper said, patting her on the shoulder. "Drunk Percy just kisses everybody."

It meant Annabeth was no one special. That hurt a little, even though she wanted to pretend like she didn't care. She had priorities other than having a crush.

"You guys would be such cute boyfriends though," Piper said, a joke lilting her voice.

Annabeth tsked and pushed her on the shoulder. "Shut up."

"I just calls it like I sees it."

Annabeth shook her head and couldn't help but smile. Laughing about it was so much better than anything else she had tried to do.

"So…" Piper said, raising her eyebrows.

"So, what?"

"How was it?"

"The kiss?"

Piper nodded.

Annabeth flushed. "I don't know."

Realization dawned on Piper's features. "Was this your first kiss?"

Annabeth chewed on her words for a moment before answering truthfully. "I mean, it's not my _first_-first, but it's my first real one."

"What was your first-first then? What was his name?"

"I don't know. I was in the third grade and my dad took me to New York for one of his conference tours. I was at a playground and, I don't really remember much, but I know he kissed me then I pushed him down the slide."

Piper snorted and shifted her legs so she was sitting like a mermaid on a rock. "What is it with you and shitty first kisses?"

"That one didn't count and neither did this one!"

Piper gave her a knowing smirk but didn't say anything against it.

Annabeth pedaled her hands around. "So then do you know if Percy is… you know?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course not. But, he thinks _I'm_ gay."

Piper's smile spread. "You're joking."

Annabeth shook her head. "He walked in on me hugging Luke. It's all kinds of confusing."

"You're crushing hard on this boy, but he thinks you're gay, but now that he kissed you, you think he's gay, and… you're roommates."

Annabeth flushed at the 'crushing hard' part. Piper was reading her like a book. "I don't like him that way, but - basically, yeah."

"And I thought I had boy problems."

Annabeth furrowed her brow. "Is everything okay with you and Jason?"

"Oh, everything's great." Piper's voice lowered to a murmur. "He just gets a little overprotective of me sometimes, like I'm someone who needs to be saved. I mean, I love him, and I love that about him, but… I don't know."

Annabeth nodded. Perhaps Jason and Luke were similar in a lot more ways than just their appearance.

"I think he's a little insecure," Piper said. "Like maybe he thinks I'm too good for him or something like that, so he just holds on harder. But it's ridiculous because Jason is the best boyfriend I've ever had and I can't even imagine being without him and - Whatever. I'm sorry. I'm dragging this whole conversation down and it's not about me. This is about you and Percy."

"No, if you need to talk about it, you know I'll always listen."

"Really, it's okay. But thanks."

"You sure?"

"Yeah! It's just stupid couple stuff! But you're a good friend… My best friend, actually."

Annabeth's neck burned when Piper gave her a gentle smile. "Wow!" she said. "Oh, wow! Thank you! You're mine too. I mean, I can't really talk to any of these guys about this."

Piper crinkled her nose playfully. "Boys are big dummies."

Annabeth giggled. "Yeah, I guess." She was in a good mood, all thanks to Piper.

"So what are you going to do?"

That was a question and Annabeth didn't have an answer to. "Be normal?"

"That's boring."

"Well, I don't want to make this any more awkward than it already is."

"Yeah, kissing your roommate would do that…"

"But Percy's been acting weird. Like, yesterday during our study session, my hand accidentally brushed his and he jumped up and stubbed his toe on his chair and mumbled something about the weather and then he went downstairs to get us a Coke and didn't come back until I was in bed."

"That boy, I swear…"

"If he's gay," Annabeth rationalized, "then I don't want him developing any feelings toward me. If he finds out who I really am, that could crush him. It would be unfair for him to think there's even a chance."

"So you'd rather pretend you were - wait, hold on, I'm confused. Let me talk this out." Piper sectioned off parts of the air with her hands as she spoke. "You want to pretend like you're straight… which you are… but be with a girl… so you can convince Percy that you're not interested in him … so you don't hurt his feelings?"

Annabeth held out her palm like she was serving a platter. "There you go."

"So you _are_ interested in him." Piper's lips curled upward.

Annabeth got caught in a trap. "It's not right! He thinks I'm someone I'm not."

"I get it, I get it," Piper said, feigning surrender. "You're doing this for him. It's noble."

Annabeth shifted her shoulders, wondering if she was doing it so she wouldn't hurt his feelings or her own. Percy might only like Andy. What if he didn't like her back as Annabeth? This seemed like the least painful solution for the both of them.

Piper chewed on the inside of her cheek and casually looked around the room, clearly thinking about something. She froze, like someone had pressed pause on a video.

"What if I was your fake girlfriend?" Piper said. She turned to Annabeth, her eyes wide and alight.

Annabeth laughed, not sure she was hearing right.

"No, seriously! This could be so much fun! I'll send you presents and do Skype sessions and get all dressed up in a disguise. Then he'll for sure know that you're taken! Ooh! I can even do an accent so he doesn't know it's me. What's your type - maybe Valley girls? Southern belles? How do you feel about Canadians?"

For each one, Piper used an accent as an example, and it made Annabeth laugh hard. She clutched her belly but Piper grasped her hand in a mocking gesture, like she was proposing.

"Annabeth Chase - will you be my fake boyfriend?"

"Piper," Annabeth said through giggles, "this could be a huge disaster."

"What's the alternative? Walking on eggshells around Percy for the rest of the year?"

Annabeth counted on her fingers. "For one: Percy isn't a complete idiot. Your acting will have to be Oscar worthy-"

"You doubt me?"

"Two: I'm going to have to pile a lie onto another trillion or so-"

"What's one more in the scheme of things?"

"Three: You could get into just as much, if not more, trouble than I would if we get caught-"

"You're honestly just making me want to do it more."

Annabeth couldn't stop smiling so she threw up her hands. "You're impossible."

"Please?" Piper pleaded, clasping her hands together like she was praying. "Please please please?"

Annabeth tongued the inside of her cheek and ran her fingers through her hair, messing up the curls even more. Even though it was an insane idea, it just might work. Annabeth had to give Piper credit - she had guts. "The chance that it blows up in our face is huge… but fine."

Piper clapped and cheered.

"But," Annabeth held up a finger, "if this even _starts_ to go wrong, we are bailing. Got it?"

Piper nodded vigorously, grabbed Annabeth's hands and pumped them up and down like pom-poms.

The door opened and Annabeth immediately thought it was Percy but instead it was -

"Jason!" Piper said, beaming.

She got to her feet and skipped over to him. She planted a kiss on his lips and kicked her leg out when she did so. Annabeth gathered up the magazines and then got to her feet too.

"Figured you'd be in here," he said, taking Piper's hands into his. He was wearing a t-shirt and athletic shorts. Again, the stink from his duffle bag was palpable. He must have been working hard. His blue eyes targeted Annabeth, slightly narrow and cold.

"Yeah!" Piper said. "Andy was keeping me company."

"I can see that," he said, but the way he said it made Piper frown.

"Jason…"

"I thought we talked about this. No offense, Andy."

Annabeth balked. "Huh?"

Piper turned to Jason through grit teeth. "Please, can we not do this here?"

Annabeth sensed the air shift, getting electric with tension. When Jason spoke to Piper, his voice barely above a whisper, Annabeth tried to pretend like she couldn't hear as she packed away Piper's things.

"I don't like you being alone with other guys."

"Nothing happened!"

"It just makes me uncomfortable."

"What, so I can't have friends that are boys?"

"You don't see me having alone time with other girls."

"I never asked you to do that for me."

"Well then I'm asking you to do this for me."

"Jason. Andy is my friend. Don't worry."

Jason huffed. His eyes darted over to Annabeth and Annabeth turned away, wondering if there was still time to camouflage herself with the wall. Piper was holding herself, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Is this really upsetting you that much?" Piper asked.

"I just..." Jason seemed to be having a hard time explaining himself. "It seems like you want to hang out with him more than me."

"I'm here to see you!"

"Then why are you with him?"

"Because you were late! Again!" Piper's voice rose as she got more and more distressed.

"I'm the soccer captain! I have stuff to do!"

"Oh so you can go off and do your own thing while I don't know where you are, but I can't."

"That's not what I'm saying."

"But that's what you did say."

Jason took a breath, but Annabeth could practically cut the air with the magazine if she wanted to. He rubbed his face and gathered himself. "How do you think it looks when my girlfriend is alone with another guy in his dorm room?"

Annabeth immediately knew Jason had said the wrong thing. She tried not to look in their direction, but her eyes bulged as she stared at her books.

"What are you implying, Jason Grace?" Piper's face had turned a shade of purple.

Jason stood stockstill, as if mortified by his own words. No one said anything for what seemed like an hour.

"Alright," Piper finally said after an agonizing wait. "I'm not really in the mood for this anymore. I'm going home. Andy, I'll take my bag now."

Annabeth held out the backpack and Piper snatched it out of her grasp. She knew Piper wasn't mad at her, but Annabeth still couldn't bring herself to look her in the eye.

Jason reached out to touch Piper, but he didn't. "Pipes, wait… That came out wrong."

"No, I get it."

Piper pulled the door open and vanished into the hall. Before Jason could chase after her, Annabeth rushed to the door and slammed it in his face. She pressed her back up against the door so it was only the two of them, staring each other down. Jason was fuming.

"Andy, move."

Annabeth steeled herself and said something she could never take back.

"I'm a girl."

* * *

**A:N/ Thank you guys so much for being patient with me. I do my best to give you guys a chapter I'm proud of, and if it takes a little longer than usual, so be it. I wanna dedicate this chapter to my girl Meg (anxiouspineapples on Tumblr) for doing some amazing fanart for this story. I've got it set up as the cover photo for this fic! Please tell her how awesome she is for me. I've said it so many times, I think it's lost it's meaning.**


	19. Calculations and Conundrums

"What?"

Annabeth was locked in Jason's intense gaze, her back up against the door with literally no way to escape from what she had just said. But she did it for a reason because it had to be said - here and now.

"I'm a girl," she repeated, her words thick in the back of her throat.

Jason scrunched his eyebrows and then shook his head like was trying to clear it. "Quit playing around. Piper's really mad and you're not helping."

"My name is Annabeth Chase. Everything you know about me is wrong."

There was a quiet moment as Jason watched her. She clenched her jaw, waiting for him to react, but he was as still as a tree. Only his eyes moved. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she considered saying something else, but his face screwed up and his scar twitched. "Are you joking?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Jason sucked in a breath and he took a stumbling step backward, like she had pushed him, and his eyes traced her up and down, trying to find the lie. The facts were unfolding in front of him. Maybe he was hearing her voice now that it wasn't low, seeing the steely-grey truth in her eyes, feeling the chill in the room that followed her words. His shock turned into a quiet simmer of anger. The hair on Annabeth's arms stood on end under Jason's stare. Perhaps this was what it felt like to be stared down by a wolf.

Annabeth had planned for this, planned for the day when she would tell Jason about her secret. Of course, she hadn't thought she would have to tell him so soon, but there she was.

"Piper's not cheating on you with me - er, Andy. I've seen the way she lights up when you walk in the room, and when she says your name, and when she thinks about you."

Her words made Jason's shoulders relax slightly, but his breathing was still harsh through his nostrils. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"Because you can hate me for lying to you, but don't hate Piper for being my friend. She's known about me for a long time. She's just trying to-"

"You do know who I am, don't you?" he asked, putting his palm to his chest. His face was getting redder by the second. "My father is the _headmaster_ of this school. Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

Annabeth held up her hand to stop him. "I know. Please." That fact was forefront in her mind, actually.

Jason sighed and he pressed his lips into a thin line.

"I get that this comes as a shock," she went on, "but now at least you know the truth. Piper loves you and I don't want to get in the way of that."

"So then move! I have to go after her!"

"Not before you understand everything." Annabeth put her hand on the doorknob in case Jason went for it. "You have to know why! She kept my secret this whole time only because she's the one person I can trust!"

"Do you _want_ me to turn you in?"

"No, but that's because I know you're not going to do it."

"How?"

"Thalia."

Jason's lips parted. "How do you know my sister?"

"She's kind of my… sidekick, in a way."

Jason looked baffled, like the thought of Thalia doing something like this didn't compute.

"She knew some people who knew some other people who could help me forge my documents and, well, long story short, she was my way in."

Jason shook his head again and ran his fingers through his damp hair, dark from sweat. "I haven't spoken to Thalia in… in years. Oh man. How is she? Is she alright?"

"She's fine," Annabeth said, smiling. Concern for his older sister was endearing. "Before I came here, she told me to give you a hard time. I guess I'm following through with that part."

Jason backpedaled to the end of the room and plopped down on Percy's desk chair. He dug the heel of his palms into his eye sockets as Annabeth came up to him slowly, still standing because she wasn't sure she could sit down for something like this.

"How do you know her?"

"She's my hairstylist."

Jason pulled his hands away from his face. "Wait, here? In California?"

"Yeah, why?"

"She's in town?"

"You didn't know?"

"She didn't tell me. We haven't really been that close since -" Jason cleared his throat, "since our mom. She's my half-sister, you know…"

"Yeah, but she's still your sister. Thalia cares about you, just in her own way. She told me pretty much everything about you. How she tucked you in every night when you were little, how you tried to eat a stapler when you were two, how you're the kind of person who always does the right thing."

Jason's eyes flashed to Annabeth's. "And you expect me to keep your secret?"

"Yeah."

"But you don't even know me that well."

Annabeth knew she was testing Jason's moral compass, pushing it to the limit of his ethical boundaries. If she said the wrong thing, she could find herself on the other side of Bolt's gates or prison bars.

"Pretty sure if you're Thalia's brother, I know everything I need to. She said, and I'm quoting here, _'If he turned into an asshole, clearly I didn't raise him right.' _"

Jason laughed at that and hung his head, but when he lifted it again, his good nature was gone. "This doesn't mean that it's cool what you're doing. I might be a good guy, but I like rules. And you're breaking all of them."

"I know. This is the risk I am going to have to take, for Piper's sake." Annabeth truly worried about Piper and her heart broke for her in that moment. It was why Annabeth revealed herself so soon. If she hadn't, Piper would be in a dark emotional place, and Annabeth would have been selfish for doing nothing. It was a calculated gamble.

The air got heavy again. Jason's eyes downturned as the color in his face drained away. "What I said to her… I was upset and I didn't mean it like that."

Annabeth nodded. "Doesn't mean it didn't hurt."

Jason mumbled in agreement and pressed his hands into his face.

Curiosity edged Annabeth on. "What did you mean, anyway?"

He looked at her through the slits of his fingers and pulled them away to speak.

"I meant that I thought she was getting bored of me, that I was living up to what everyone jokes about. How she's too good for me, how she's settling for less… And I'd try to laugh and play along, but it was true. I mean, compared to you, I'm second best."

"Wait, me?"

"Yeah. You're smart, nice, and kind of cute. I thought she had found someone better. I felt threatened."

Annabeth tried not to blush. She was flattered that he thought so highly of her, but that explained why he was a little distant. He thought it was a competition.

Jason sighed, heavy and low, and straightened his back. He changed the subject, like maybe it would help him put all the pieces back together. "So you did all of this just so you could come to school here? Why?"

Then Annabeth told him - everything: how she and Piper met, how Piper helped her disguise herself as a girl for when Luke visited, how Piper was the mastermind behind _Operation: Fake Girlfriend_ to get Percy off Annabeth's trail… The more she said it out loud, the more it sounded like an elaborate story, too weird to believe even for Annabeth who had lived it. But as everything spread out before Jason, the line of his lips turned straighter and firmer.

When she was finished, Jason was still watching her. She had hoped maybe she could convince him to be on her team. Having the son of the headmaster of the school would be a valuable asset, one that Annabeth could use - not that she wanted to _use_ Jason for blackmail or anything. But he was important nonetheless, to Piper especially. If she was to have any hope for staying at Bolt, she needed Jason on her side.

"You've got a lot of nerve, don't you," he finally said.

Annabeth shrugged because it wasn't really a question.

"So Percy doesn't know?"

"Percy can't know, not when I've done everything to get where I am. You need to promise to keep this a secret."

Jason sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes fell on the floor as he processed everything that had been said. "Andy - or Annabeth - or whatever I'm supposed to call you now," he said, "this goes against everything I've been raised to believe. Helping you do something like this…" He trailed off, clearly the situation weighed heavily on his thoughts.

"Jason."

He lifted his head towards her.

"I need you to do this for me. With me. Please."

"But my father…" Jason was having a battle with himself. He twisted his hands together and bit his lip. "All the other people who didn't get into this school… and you're here because you lied."

"I got in by myself. The only thing that was different was the name on a piece of paper."

His eyes drifted downward again. She was losing him. His sense of duty to his family was stronger than it was to her, and she understood that. "If you want to turn me in, you'd better do it now," she said, appealing to his merciful side. "Rip it off like a Band-Aid. I'll be fine with it, so long as you make things right with Piper."

Those words were hard to say aloud, but she stood by what she meant. She swallowed, her heart in her throat. Even though her future meant the world to her, Jason and Piper fighting over a misunderstanding wasn't worth it. She wanted them to be happy. If she had to find another way to achieve her dream, so be it.

Jason stood and Annabeth stepped back to give him space.

He sighed, his shoulders rising and falling as he did so, and looked at Annabeth through lowered brows.

"So you really trust me enough not to go running to my dad?" he asked, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"If Piper likes you, then that's good enough for me," Annabeth joked, and then immediately regretted saying it in case she hit a raw nerve.

But Jason did laugh. "I'm such an ass. How am I ever going to make it up to her?"

"An 'I'm sorry' is a good start. Maybe some chocolate and flowers."

"Piper's not really a flowers kind of girl."

"It's not about the flowers. It's the gesture."

Jason took a moment and shifted on his feet. "And you think that'll get her to forgive me?"

"Well, it's not a magic wand, but it'll get you in the door. After that, it's all about honesty. You need to tell her everything you're feeling, even if it may hurt you in the process. You can't say things recklessly like you just did. If something's bothering you, you have to tell her. Secrets and miscommunication ruin relationships."

"Think you could listen to your own advice?"

"What?"

"With your secret?"

Annabeth reeled. "No. My secret is different. Your situation is not. You need to open up to Piper, be honest with her about all of your problems, and give her everything you want in return. But you also need to give her a little benefit of the doubt too."

Jason bobbed his head. "I'm no good with this apology stuff… I feel like an idiot."

"You'd better get used to it. This isn't going to be the last time you guys fight."

"Yeah, well I'd like to do that as little as possible." Jason cleared his throat and palmed the back of his neck again. "Tell you what," Jason said. "I'll keep your secret only if you do me a favor."

Annabeth brightened. She had one more person on Team Annabeth.

Jason leaned in. "Whenever I need help with, um, with girls, can I come to you?"

"Are you saying we're all the same?" Annabeth teased.

"No! You're close with Piper and you're right across the hall and everything. Just be my backup? I could really use a second opinion about date ideas from someone whose idea of a nice dinner doesn't include a buffet."

Annabeth had an idea about who he was talking about. Only Percy would think all-you-can-eat was a luxury. It made her smile. "Sure. Welcome aboard, _accomplice_."

"Okay, easy on the whole accomplice thing. I'm still coming around on the whole you being a girl fact."

Annabeth held up her hands, forfeiting control. "Fair enough."

"But I do know that you're a good person, guy or girl, so as far as I'm concerned you're still Andy to me."

Jason headed toward the door and this time Annabeth didn't stop him. He opened it and paused at the threshold.

"Oh," he said, turning toward her. His cheeks went pink, nerves worrying his lip again. "Could you tell Thalia to give me a call sometime? We have a lot of catching up to do."

With that, he raced after Piper.

* * *

"Earth to Percy."

Percy jumped, lifting his chin from his fist and found that the classroom that had once been packed with his classmates was empty, probably had been for some time too. Only Leo stood in front of him, his hip resting on the desk and based on his tone, it wasn't the first time he had called for Percy's attention.

"Uh, what?" he asked.

"You okay?"

Percy cleared his throat, drifting back from his daydream. "Yeah, why?"

"You just have this look." Leo mimicked him with a furrowed brow and pouty lips.

Percy was pretty sure Leo wouldn't want to know that he had been lost in thought over a sexual identity crisis, one that had been happening for a week. A whole week.

A week of obsessing. A week of confusion. A week of questions.

Last night, he had even gone so far as to Google "Am I gay?" just to see if maybe there was a chance it took him to a page that would have all the answers. Like he was expecting to be taken to a website that flashed the words in bright red letters _CONGRATULATIONS YOU'RE HELLA GAY_ and then he would know for sure.

Instead it took him to a quiz that he was too impatient to complete. He found article after article, list after list, forum advice, even blogs all about it and Percy found nothing that would put his mind at ease.

It wasn't like being gay would be a bad thing, and at least he would have peace of mind about why he was a bumbling mess around Andy lately. He could barely think straight enough as it was, and things were ten times worse whenever Andy was in the room. Their study sessions had become something of a joke.

The air in between them spanned a lifetime's worth of unasked questions and unanswerable solutions. He had to give himself as much time to think alone without Andy threatening to invade both his mind and his personal space so he made himself sparse, finding time to practice even more than before in the pool. But he found that the more time he spent away from Andy, the more he thought about him.

Since that night, he had had no other dreams about Andy. In fact, they were the complete opposite of a sex dream - like not being able to swim anymore, running away from a shadowy figure, and failing a test he didn't study for. He told himself over and over that his Andy dream was just that - a dream - and that it meant nothing, but that left him feeling hollow and alone.

He had no one to turn to about this, at least no one he was comfortable with. Even Jason who Percy considered one of his closest friends, wasn't someone he could tell easily.

That was why he had turned to the internet and found little help.

He even went so far once as to watch gay porn. It was an experience to say the least. Percy would be forever mortified by the phrase "heavy handed." He found it to be a little too aggressive for his liking and quickly exited. Though he had learned an awful lot about which parts went where, he wasn't sure he could picture himself being into another guy's junk.

It wasn't that there was anything wrong with a dick - after all, he had one - but he didn't want to think about it. Even when he tried really, really hard to picture Andy naked (again, all a part of his experimentation) he could only go so far as to imagine Andy as smooth down there as a Ken doll.

It was a bizarre image, one that was hard to shake.

And Andy was having an affect on him that no other guy could. Every day Percy saw hundreds of other guys and he felt absolutely nothing towards them, not even a little. He even squinted at Jason once, maybe thinking if he was blurry it would help, but Jason just gave him a funny look at told him to get his eyes checked.

So he wasn't bisexual. At least that was progress. But there was just something about Andy that was just driving him crazy.

And that was when Percy realized he hadn't said anything to Leo in way too long.

Percy shook his head, like it would clear it, and got to his feet, the desk chair screeching against the floor.

"I'm fine," Percy said.

"You're going to be late for practice."

"What time is it?"

"Past three."

"Shit."

"Yeah. Are you getting sick or something?"

"No. I'll see you later."

Percy dashed out of the classroom, just barely catching Leo saying, "Okay, bye."

* * *

For a moment, Percy was weightless. Then his fingers peeled through the surface of the water and he went under. All sound was dulled, just a low drone from the pool filters and the clap of other bodies swimming just out of sight, then he kicked - once, twice, three times and his back broke the surface. He took a breath of air as he made the first stroke. His arm reached up toward the high, gray stucco ceiling and crashed down again to do the same on the other side. Every time he looked down, the blue lines on the floor of the pool tried to guide him to the end of the lane - but by this point in his career, he was sure he could swim the lane with his eyes closed.

_I still like girls_, he thought, his focus drifting. _But Andy..._

When he reached the end, he tucked and spun and launched off from the wall like a torpedo. His lungs burned, but the good kind of burn, the kind that made him feel like he was alive and melting him from the inside out. He breached the surface again and pulled himself harder than ever. But it was different this time - something was off, like his whole spirit had been shifted a degree to the right.

He kicked harder, pressed himself faster, but no matter what he did he felt like he was swimming in place.

Maybe it was because a mental image floated through his thoughts, tightening his gut, churning his mind, plaguing him like it had been for a week. Andy's smile, Andy's laugh, Andy's everything. The thought struck him like a lightning bolt.

_Am I only gay for Andy?_

Percy didn't even realize he had reached the end of the pool until his head smacked directly into the wall. Stars burst in front of his eyes and there was a collective "Ooh" from his teammates, muffled through the water. Like a brick, Percy sank to the bottom of the pool and let his pounding heart and head echo through his ears. A shadow moved above him, the figure warped by the pool.

Percy came up for air and ripped his goggles and his swimming cap off his head in one fluid motion. Everyone who saw what had happened were still laughing.

"Percy."

Coach Hedge was standing in front of him with his fists on his hips, the whistle around his neck swinging dangerously. He was looking down at Percy with narrowed concern.

Percy swore under his breath and hauled himself out of the pool. He stood a whole head and shoulders taller than Hedge, but the height difference didn't seem to be a problem for Hedge's authority over him.

"You okay?" Hedge asked.

"I'm fine. I've got a thick skull." It still throbbed even when he said it.

"Your rhythm was all wrong, your entry angle was too steep, and your turn was too slow. I know these are only warm-ups, but this isn't you."

"Yeah," Percy said. The rest of the team continued with their laps while he ran his hands down his face, shedding the water that dripped from his chin.

"I've noticed you've been staying late at practice and coming in after hours. Is something wrong?"

"No."

"I think you need to take a break."

Percy's eyes snapped back to Hedge. "No. I'm fine, really. Just let me get back in the pool."

"Nope. You're burning yourself out. If you're not careful, you're going to get yourself hurt. Take some time away from the pool. Just promise when you do come back, you'll have your head on straight."

Percy pleaded with open arms. "Coach, come on. I've got this. You can't bench me. Regionals-"

"That's exactly why we need you in peak condition. With regionals next month, you need to be well-rested and ready to swim. Come back next week."

Percy was about to protest, but Hedge held up his hand.

"That's final. Go."

"But-"

"Go." He pointed toward the locker room while his teammates watched, curiosity making them pause and stare.

Percy, stifling any urge to keep fighting, pressed his lips together and trudged into the locker room. It was empty since everyone else was out doing what he should be - training to win, and the frustration swirled around in his gut.

It was quieter there, which helped calm Percy a little bit, but it didn't stop him from opening his locker a little too roughly, letting it crash open with a loud _TCSH_ that rang in the room.

He grabbed his towel that was sitting crumpled at the bottom of the locker and his shampoo. It would be so easy to blame Hedge for his problem, but he was right. Percy couldn't let Andy get under his skin like that. Regionals was too important to mess up, not when he had so much to do still.

Stuck in the door frame of the locker was a worn-edged photo. Percy glanced at it before shutting it once more. It was of him learning to swim with his mom. He was about two, holding onto her hands and kicking wildly with a grin on his face - a frozen memory stuck in time. There was another person there too, someone who disappeared from these kinds of photos shortly after this one had been taken. Only his arm and half of his bare back could be seen, the same color skin that Percy had inherited. Something else replaced the frustration in his gut - white hot fire that made his jaw clench.

Percy slammed the locker shut and found himself face-to-face with someone else leaning against the locker next door.

"Easy there, Jackson. Aren't we a little old for hissy fits?"

He was wearing Bolt's colors - a purple hoodie with the insignia on the front - and a smirk. His almond-colored hair was swept away from his box-like features, making room for his dark eyes to see unobstructed. Mark Seever.

Percy sighed and closed his eyes. Mark was the one person he really did not want to see right now. "What do you want?" he asked, glaring at him.

"Oh, nothing. Just curious is all. Saw what happened back there."

Percy made a move to walk past him, but Mark stepped in his way, his arms folded over his chest. They were the same height, both freestyle swimmer, so Percy stared Mark down.

"I just wanted to say," Mark said, with a snide smile, "I think what coach did was best. I mean, we can't have you slowing us down. Maybe you've lost your edge."

Mark and Percy had almost always been neck and neck in their lap times. Sometimes Percy thought of Mark like a shadow, constantly lurking just out of the corner of his eye. Percy would make his first stroke, Mark would match it. Percy would make his turn, Mark would be right there. Percy would touch the wall, Mark would too. It was a shadow he couldn't shake, a shadow that loomed and put Percy on edge. Maybe if he went faster, he could escape, but he never could. Mark was always around.

"You should get some rest," Mark said. He even patted Percy on the shoulder. "We'll take it from here."

"Thanks," Percy said, not meaning it at all, "but I'll be back."

"I'm sure you will."

When Mark didn't move out of Percy's way, Percy inched past him. He dug his toes into the grainy concrete as walked to the shower, all aware that Mark had turned to watch him, a slimy smile plastered on his face. He just knew Mark was claiming it as his own little victory. His chin had a dimple in the middle of it that immediately made Percy think of a butt. Maybe that's why Percy's nickname for him stuck.

_What an ass-face._


	20. Sickness and Snuggles

**A/N: _IMPORTANT UPDATE_ - IGAB will be on temporary hiatus over the holiday! I won't be updating for the next TWO WEEKS. I know. I'm sorry. But thank you all so much for your support and your understanding. I'm not sure you guys understand how much I appreciate your thoughtful comments and well-wishes. If you want to keep up to date on all things IGAB, be sure to follow me on Tumblr at flyingcrowbar. Expect the next chapter to come December 11th. **

* * *

Annabeth sneezed into the crook of her elbow.

"Bless you!" Nico said, looking up from his fan of Mythomagic cards in his hand. "Are you getting sick?"

Annabeth sniffed and shook her head. She cracked a smile, even though her sinuses were as congested as LA traffic during rush hour. "I think it's allergies."

"Then why are you doing your laundry? You should be in bed."

Nico had a point. But Annabeth really didn't think she needed to sleep it off. Her chores had to come before lounging around and doing nothing. Besides, her headache wasn't even that bad. She'd had so much worse. All she would need was a nice hot shower and a dose of NyQuil and she'd be just fine, she assured him. He seemed doubtful, but didn't press; maybe it was because he didn't want her to leave either. She was sitting with Nico on top of the washing machines while both of them waited for the dryers to finish with their loads, occupying themselves with a quick game of Mythomagic to pass the time. Thanks to his patience, she was getting the hang of it, but wasn't nearly as good as Nico.

"I don't mind laundry actually," she said, watching as Nico handedly defeated her with a single card. "I kind of like it. Especially folding the warm clothes. I could just sleep under a pile of towels straight from the dryer and you'd never see me again."

Nico laughed. He was doing that a lot more when Annabeth was around. She liked the way it brightened his face. "That'd make one of us," he said. "Maybe I should pay you to do mine, save me the trouble."

"What are we talking - like fifty? A hundred?"

Nico pinched his lips into the corner of his mouth. "As much as it costs to do a regular load of laundry… in quarters."

Annabeth snorted and nudged him with her fist. He turned away, smiling sheepishly.

"It's good money!" he said. "We'll trade. I'll take whatever chores you don't like."

"That's not happening!"

"I'll clean your bathroom. No one likes cleaning bathrooms."

"Not as much as I don't want to touch your smelly socks!"

"They're not that bad." A basket of clothes already done in a previous cycle was sitting next to him. He reached into the pile and pulled out a sock. When he put it up to his nose, he made a face. Annabeth laughed. "Okay, they're not as bad as Jason's alright? I'm amazed anyone can breathe after he comes back from practice."

"How is Jason anyway?" she asked. "I haven't talked to him since, um, since a few days ago. He and Piper had a bit of an argument. I mean, I know you two are roommates so…"

"Oh yeah, they're fine now. Apparently Jason chased her all the way back to Herald. They had a long talk and then came back here together. He apologized" - Nico cleared his throat - "right before they kicked me out into the hallway and made up with each other. Loudly."

Annabeth covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a giggle that scratched her throat.

"I'm used to it by now," Nico said, a grin was slowly spreading on his face at the sight of hers.

Annabeth pulled her hand away from her lips and laughed. "I'm so sorry. It was partially my fault."

"How so?"

"I had to knock some sense into Jason. I'm glad they worked it out though."

"Wanna know a secret?" Nico leaned in - but he still made sure to keep his deck close to his chest. "I think Jason wants to marry her one day."

"Really?" Annabeth couldn't help the bubble of warmth that spread in her heart.

"I mean, it's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

The buzzer to the dryers went off and both of them put down their cards, hopped from the washers, and opened the doors. Annabeth piled her clothes into her basket and couldn't stop from smiling. Jason had kept his word and hadn't told anyone about her secret. He and Piper must have talked about all of it. She was making more and more friends the longer she stayed, and she couldn't be happier.

"What about you? Do you have anyone special in your life?" she asked, keeping conversation light.

Nico twirled a towel around his wrist and patted it with his other hand. He untwirled it again to put it into his second basket. "Uh, no," he said. "Not yet."

"Where are you from anyway?"

"I was born in Italy, but I moved to D.C. when I was ten."

"Oh, are you fluent in Italian?"

"_Sì._"

"That's awesome. Can you say something to me?"

Nico thought about it for a moment then he looked her right in the eye. "_Sei la ragione per cui vivo, per cui ogni giorno sorrido._"

"What'd you say?"

"Learn Italian and find out," he said, with a grin. He kept putting his clothes in the basket.

"It's a beautiful language. I'm really jealous. I wish I had learned more than English. Languages aren't my strongest suit. English barely counts sometimes... " She meant it as a joke, but she was right. Dyslexia wasn't something she could just overcome and to confuse it with more than one language would be cruel. "Do the others know you speak Italian?"

Nico shrugged. "I never really told them. I don't think I've told anyone."

"You never really talk about your home life around them, do you."

"Not really." The way he said it made Annabeth pause.

She watched him for a minute. He focused on his laundry, piling each of his clothes into the basket, but his gaze never really focused on the task. The corners of his lips twitched downward, perhaps from some distant memory he was reliving as he worked. Whenever they sat at the usual table in the cafeteria, Nico was always reluctant to hop into the conversation. It would be normal to assume he was just quiet and shy, but she didn't really think there would be a reason for it. Him standing there now was evidence of a deep pain. She didn't want to pry, but he was mysterious that way, drawing her in with sad eyes and a noncommittal sigh. She had her own problems with her family, and it was only normal for her to think that lots of other people were in the same boat as she was, slowly drifting off to sea with no oar or compass. Just each other.

"If you ever need to talk, you know you have lots of friends here," she said with care. "Including me."

His dark eyes flitted to the corners of his dark lashes to look at her and his lips slanted in a half-smile. "Thank you."

"Or should you say 'gratzi'?"

"_Grazie,_" Nico corrected. He even pinched his fingers together as he said the word, encouraging her to use the accent.

"_Grazie,_" she repeated, less American-like.

"Better." His smile was lighter.

Something tickled way deep in Annabeth's nose and she sneezed again, hard enough to make her dizzy.

Nico frowned. "You need to be in bed." He was starting to sound like a clucking hen.

"I'm fine, honestly."

"No, you're not. You got your germs all over my cards."

"It's just allergies."

"You're all pale and sweaty."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Bed. Now."

* * *

"You're home already?"

Percy spun around and found Andy standing in the doorway, his laundry basket held up to his chest like an oversized stuffed animal he won at a fair. Percy wasn't really in the mood to explain that he had been unofficially banned from swimming for a week. His mood was sour. Mark's words still stung, like an echo reverberating in his skull - no, more like a jackhammer beating him down further and further. At the sight of Andy though, Percy's heart leapt. But Andy seemed a little worse for wear.

"You look gross."

Okay, that probably was not the best thing to say to his roommate first thing, but it was the truth. He looked waxen and frail, like if Percy breathed too hard he would fall over, and his gray eyes were as glassy as polished ball bearings.

"It's just allergies!" Andy said, probably not the first time today. He stomped toward his dresser and dropped his basket at the foot of it then started folding his clothes into piles.

Percy approached and stood next to him, his hands tucked into the pockets of his sweatpants. "It doesn't look like allergies."

"I told you, I'm fine. Why are you home?"

There was no point in denying it. He was going to have to tell him sooner or later. "I'm on a break. They're making me sit out for a while before regionals."

"What for?"

Percy ran his fingers through his still damp hair and sighed. "I've just been" - _thinking about you every waking second and it's been messing with my head so they can't afford to front someone who can't even focus on a simple warm-up let alone a whole race_ - "distracted."

Andy folded one of his shirts in half and added it to the rest.

"So yeah," Percy said, "I've got nothing to do for the next week."

"When is regionals?"

"Right before Christmas break."

"That's the same week as the drag show, right?"

Recollection dawned on him. "Oh yeah. We still need to do a thing for it."

"Yeah," Andy said, his voice sliding.

This was a perfect distraction from Mark trying to usurp his place on the team. Ever since Leo and Frank mentioned at lunch a while ago that they were going to be doing a Beyoncé song (_typical_), Percy was determined to top them. If they were going to bring out the big guns, he had to match just as hard. He was almost bouncing with energy when he pitched his idea. "Last year, Grover and me did this whole dance to the Spice Girls, so I was thinking maybe we could do something kinda like that? Maybe Madonna?"

"I like that you put a lot of thought into it, but I'm not sure I'm really up for a drag show."

"How come?" He tried not to make it sound like he was a whiney five year-old. He and Grover hadn't even placed when they performed last time, but he had a blast nevertheless. It wasn't really about the prizes for him. He already had an XBox (though those excused absences certainly would be nice) and he wasn't in it for the competition. The sheer prospect of doing something with Andy had made him giddy, and now it was all crashing down.

Andy shrugged. "It's not really my thing."

"But… it's for charity."

Andy sniffed and took a breath through his mouth. He was starting to sound like a stereotypical nerd from an 80s movie. "I'm just not a stage person. I like the behind-the-scenes work."

Percy bounced on the balls of his feet. "Come on! You and me! We'll be an unstoppable team! We'll show Frank and Leo just who they're messing with."

Andy chewed on the inside of his cheek and blinked his glassy eyes back into focus.

"Ninety percent of success is just showing up," Percy said. "You're gonna be great."

"I'm - I'm not really a stage person. I like behind-the-scenes work."

Percy paused. "Yeah… you said that already."

"Did I?"

"Do you have a fever?"

"Look, I was fine this morning."

"That's kind of how fevers work," Percy said. His grin was supposed to make Andy feel better, but Andy looked a little too sick for that. "Here."

Instinctively, he reached his hand out and put the back of it to Andy's forehead to find it hot and clammy. It was only when Andy stared at him, wide-eyed, and jerked back that Percy realized what he had done. It was just such a normal thing in his household. His mom would always check his forehead whenever he wasn't feeling well. It meant she cared. Percy's stomach dropped to somewhere near his knees and he put his hand back in his pocket. It had suddenly gotten a lot warmer in here, but not because he might be catching Andy's fever.

"You're sick. You need to go to bed," he said, talking around the lump that was pulsating in his throat.

"I just need a NyQuil and a shower-"

"You're going to need something a lot stronger than that."

"Percy-" Andy was having trouble opening his dresser drawer as he prepared for another sneeze. His whole body shook when he did so, the air rushing through his teeth like a train. It was time for Percy to take charge.

"Stay put. I've got just the thing." He held out his hands like he was a crossing guard and backed to the door. He opened it and in a stride and a half got to where he was going.

He knocked twice on Jason and Nico's door. There was a commotion inside, things being moved around, and then he heard footsteps approach. It cracked open an inch and Nico peered out.

"Percy!"

"Hey, remember when I got the flu that first week you got here and you gave me a shot of that medicine that tasted like death?"

Nico scrunched his eyebrows. "Yeah, why?"

"Andy's sick. Think he could have some?"

Nico didn't seem surprised. He opened the door a little wider and said, "Yeah, I figured. It's here somewhere. Come on in. Watch your step though." Percy pushed the door wider but Nico hissed. "Don't! She'll escape!"

Percy pulled it closer to himself again. "Who?"

"Arachne, my tarantula! She got out again."

"Ah man. Again?" Percy edged into the room and shut the door behind him. He scanned the floor before he took a step.

"Honestly," Nico said, talking to himself more than anything, "I turn around for one second to feed her and then her terrarium is empty."

"She can't have gone far."

"I've looked everywhere…" Nico sighed.

Percy imagined so. Jason and Nico weren't exactly the cleanest people in the world, but based on the state of things Nico had practically torn the place apart. Baskets full of writing supplies - notebooks, pens, flashcards - were strewn on the floor, the bedsheets were draped over the posts of the bunk to reveal the bare nakedness of the mattresses, books and CDs (_whoa, who even has CDs anymore?_) were stacked in high piles. Even Nico's posters were hanging like wilted flowers from the wall, having been checked to make sure the spider wasn't hiding behind them.

"I can help you look." But as he said so, he accidentally nudged over a pile of books with his sleeve, an open bag of Doritos on top of it all, and it came crashing down. "Whoops." He stooped to pick it all up, and what stray chips he could scavenge, and piled them all back together.

"It's fine, really. You're better off just staying out of the way. Like you said, she can't have gone far." Nico rested his hand on top of his head, the other on his hip while he stared around the room as if maybe Arachne would make her presence known and squeak, _Surprise!_ "Oh right," Nico said, jumping like he'd been shocked. "The medicine."

Percy side-stepped out of the way, making sure a spider wasn't in his path, and Nico hustled into the bathroom as Percy made himself comfy on Jason's stripped mattress. It creaked under his butt as he bounced a little. He looked at the empty, brightly-lit terrarium sitting on the desk on the opposite end of the room and wondered just how a hand-sized spider had crawled its way up glass walls.

"Can tarantulas jump?" Percy asked, more curious than anything.

Nico's voice echoed in the bathroom. "They don't really. They're too fragile."

"So then did it actually get out of the terrarium?"

Nico poked his head out of the bathroom and stared at the spider house. "You think I'm that dumb?" Percy shrugged and Nico disappeared again.

Boredom taking hold, Percy scanned the room. He saw Nico's basket of freshly laundered clothes sitting in the corner, just waiting to be put away, and immediately wondered if he and Andy had been doing their clothes together. He was immediately brought back to how Andy's clothes smelled, the scent of his detergent, how it smelled like Andy, and his heart pounded.

"So what are you and Jason doing for the drag show?" he asked, in an attempt to cool down.

"You planning to steal our idea?"

"Who me? Never! Just asking." The competition was fierce. Everyone took the event very seriously. It seemed like the bug had bitten Nico too. Jason must have already told him all about his performance with one of the seniors last year to a Olivia Newton-John's 'Physical.'

"Katy Perry I think…" Nico said. He didn't sound enthusiastic. "We haven't decided for sure."

"Really?" Percy grinned at the thought of Nico in a Jolly Rancher-colored Katy Perry wig.

"Like I said, we're not sure."

"Yeah, me and Andy too."

Nico was quiet for a moment then he said, as if testing the water with a big toe. "Has, um, has Andy ever mentioned me or anything?"

"What about?"

"Nothing. Just wondering."

That was a weird question. Had Nico said something to Andy that might've been taken the wrong way? Was he worried that Andy was mad at him? Andy didn't really talk about Nico much, but they did seem kind of close. Percy figured it wasn't really his business though. That was something they had to work out between themselves.

"Need help finding the stuff?"

"No, it's here, I know it is. Just give me a second."

The door opened and Jason stood there, framed for a moment, before stepping inside. Nico darted out from the bathroom. "Close it!"

"What happened?" Jason asked, looking at the mess and slamming the door behind him.

Percy summed it up as Nico went back into the bathroom. "Spider crisis."

"Has he looked in the terrarium?" Jason asked.

"Been there, done that," Percy said with a flick of his wrist.

"Want help, Nico?"

"It's under control!"

"So he was just telling me about your drag show song…"

A light bulb went on behind Jason's eyes. "Hey! That reminds me, Nico! Piper gave me a great idea and…" Jason glanced at Percy. "We'll talk about it later. It's classified."

"Aw come on, don't spoil the fun."

Nico emerged from the bathroom holding a bottle of green liquid in a container that was labeled in Italian. Percy had no idea what it was or how it worked, but he only knew it was a miracle drug. Percy stood when Nico stopped in front of him.

"Remember," Nico said, handing it to Percy. "This stuff is strong. Only half a dose should do it.

"Who's sick?" Jason asked. He wiped his sweaty face off on his shirt, leaving a ghost-like Jason-stain on the front of it.

"Andy."

"Oh really? She-" Jason caught himself and choked on his voice. He coughed for a moment and pounded his fist into his chest like he was trying to dislodge the physical form of the word from his throat. Both Nico and Percy stared. "Shit. I meant, shit. That sucks. He should be taking it easy."

"Thanks, Nico," Percy said, holding the bottle up in a pseudo salute. "I owe you big time."

"Anything for… Yeah, sure."

Percy stepped around the mess and then his shoe made a crunch - Percy froze. No one moved, knowing the worst. Arachne was underfoot. Jason was as still as a statue. Nico's eyes welled up as his mouth fell open. A prickle of guilt seeped its way into Percy's spine, like a jelly from the freezer.

"Oh no. Nico, I'm-" Percy lifted up his shoe only to find a smushed Dorito beneath it, bright orange crumbs everywhere. Relief washed over him. "False alarm. Chip anyone?"

Nico rushed to Percy and saw for himself. He raised his hand and smacked Percy on the shoulder. It stung and but it was better than Percy having murdered Nico's pet.

"I hate you, Percy Jackson," Nico said, his tone without heat.

"Good luck finding Arachne! I'll keep my eyes peeled."

"Just go," Nico said, shaking his head.

"See ya guys."

When Percy made it back to his room, he found Andy lying in bed, his arm dangling over the edge like he had given up on moving for the rest of the night. He truly looked miserable.

Percy rationed out a dose and then put the paper cup in Andy's hand. He could barely keep his eyes open, he was that sick.

"Drink that. You'll feel tons better tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"Probably better not to know."

Andy lifted himself up onto his forearm, tossed his head back, and downed the medicine. He made a face - a face that Percy sympathized with - and then fell back down onto his pillow. By the time Percy took the cup from his hand, Andy was already snoring.

* * *

Annabeth woke up in the middle of the night, drowsy and disoriented. All she knew was that her bladder was full and she had to go now. Her stomach was warm and tingling, like she had swallowed a handful of dandelion heads. But she was pleasant in her state, like she was halfway inside a very nice dream. In the darkness, Annabeth slid down the ladder and went into the bathroom. She didn't even bother turning on the light, or opening her eyes - she could have very well been walking in her sleep. She thought of how warm her bed was, how much she desperately wanted to get back into it, how welcoming her pillow would be.

When she was finished, she stumbled out of the bathroom and immediately thought _bed_ when she saw it. Except it wasn't exactly hers.

She pulled the blankets away, didn't pay attention to the other body already lying there, and slid herself inside. It was so toasty warm, she curled herself up beside its heat source and nestled her face into the crook of his shoulder. His skin was smooth, his body safe - better than a pile of warm clothes fresh from the dryer. The other person shifted, mumbling something in his sleep, and made room for her. He even threw an arm over her, blocking her back from the chill of the room. How kind. She drifted off again, floating away on the smell of chlorine and Old Spice.

* * *

Percy had had a good dream, a dream he couldn't remember as he slowly came to. Sunlight poured in behind his closed lids and he instinctively wiped away the drool that had dried on his cheek during the night. What remnants of the dream that lingered made him wish he could go back to sleep. He was so warm and comfortable, the rest of the day just couldn't compare. He shifted a little, debating on whether or not he could convince himself to doze another fifteen minutes, and opened his eyes to check the time.

What he found instead was Andy.

Turned toward him, sharing Percy's pillow, sleeping peacefully. His mouth slightly open, his long lashes brushing the tops of his high cheekbones, his blond curls astray and tousled. Andy breathed in and out; Percy breathed in and out.

It took a beat too long for Percy to fully process what he was seeing: that his arm was draped over Andy's body, that Andy had spent the night. In his bed. _In his bed cuddling._ When it all finally clicked, Percy jumped and leaned back against the wall. As the bed shook, Andy simply whined and buried his face further into Percy's pillow, bringing his limp fists up to his lips, still sleeping. It was… it was actually kind of cute.

Percy's face burned, the blush reaching all the way down to the tips of his toes. He stayed like that for a long moment - it could have been a second, it could have been a year. But all Percy knew was that Andy had somehow made it down into his bed and that Percy was totally cool with it.

Yeah. He was. Honestly. To his very core. Everything he had found out about himself was true. Still confusing, but true, and he was coming to terms with that. He was crushing hardcore on Andy. He didn't have to know _why_ he liked Andy, it just was. Validation for liking someone would never make his feelings any more concrete. So in that moment, everything became clear. He liked Andy for his patience, and his laugh whenever Percy made a stupid joke, and the way he chewed on the inside of his cheek when he was thinking - his looks helped, in his own sort of feminine way, and Percy wouldn't mind being close to him. It was all just… perfect.

Percy restrained himself from brushing the curls from Andy's forehead - _that would be too creepy_ - and instead settled on letting Andy have the whole bed. He maneuvered his leg over top of Andy, straddling him, and then hopped onto the floor. Andy snuggled deeper into the mattress. Percy carefully drew the comforter up over Andy's shoulders and opted to give him the day to rest. No one would think any less of him for skipping class because he was sick. Quietly, Percy dressed for school, having just barely missed breakfast, and opened the door. Before he left for the day, he looked back at Andy, still curled up in Percy's everything, and smiled. Perhaps being grounded from the pool for a week wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
